Saltation
by peekapika83
Summary: In biology, saltation (from Latin, saltus, "leap") is a sudden change from one generation to the next, that is large, or very large, in comparison with the usual variation of an organism. The term is used for nongradual changes (especially single-step speciation) that are atypical of, or violate gradualism - involved in modern evolutionary theory. (via Wikipedia) (Yaoi)
1. Chapter 1 - The Arena

Gohan stared at the splatters of blood on the wall across from him. He could tell from their different colors which were older and which were fresh. The roar of the crowd was muffled a bit from the shape of the corridor, but not by much. It sounded a lot like the waterfall Bardock would take him to train by sometimes. The thought helped him retain his calm.

It wasn't that he was nervous. It was the weight of his family's, specifically his father's, pride that he could feel resting on his shoulders. Like a cape with too much fur, it threatened to suffocate. Gohan knew how to keep his head up though. He had fought a thousand times. Everyday as far as he knew, for his entire fifteen years, had contained a lesson in battle. He was saiyan, after all.

The cries of the crowd escalated, and Gohan knew that another match had come to an end out in the arena. While it wasn't required, there was a good chance of these things ending in death for the loser. A real warrior didn't lose control of himself like that though, to kill an opponent needlessly. Those were his sire's words of wisdom. Gohan was always very careful to heed the terse musings Bardock would hand down on occasion after a spar.

Gohan's fingers absently traced the raised ridge of a small scar on his forearm while he waited. It was just under the edge of his armband, where he could reach it. The oily slickness over all his skin was strange to him, but it had been done at his sire's direction.

_"__When you get in the ring, after the weighing, take off your shirt before you fight" Bardock instructed. Gohan was obedient if nothing else, and nodded. He knew if he let the unspoken 'why?' hang in between them, that Bardock would go on to explain himself. _

_"__Close your eyes" Toma wet his hands with oil, and raised them to Gohan's face. The young male could feel Bardock beginning to spread the substance over his back as well. The instructions continued as they worked it over his skin._

_"__The real test for you here isn't going to be the fighting, Gohan. It's the presentation. There are few full grown males you couldn't beat in the arena, forget about these whelps. This is your first public appearance. You have to show them you're just as saiyan as the rest of us." _

Gohan watched as the limp form of a loser was drug across the floor behind one of the guards. He'd be heading for the healing tanks, but no glory. Gohan's father would be watching out there, as would Bardock … as would the King. The victor's name was announced to a renewed swell of cheering, but Gohan didn't even register it.

"You, and you!" a burly, unwashed saiyan pointed at Gohan and one of the other contestants, "Get your asses over here! You're up next!" he growled above the noise. With a stretch and a deep breath, Gohan stood, his mind focused and body ready.

His opponent was a half a size larger than him, and known to be from a stamina line. It wouldn't help him. He seemed quite confident as he walked out though. Raising his arms, the larger male urged on the cheering of the crowd as they hit the open air. He was from the younger generation, like Gohan, but had indulged in what was becoming a popular trend on the planet. His arms were covered in tattoos. Gohan could pick out quite a few patterns and images he recognized, but didn't let it distract him. That's really all things like that were, a distraction. After they had climbed up to the weighing station, the announcer let the cheers go on for a moment before beginning to speak.

"Your attention for the weighing" the well dressed male called out, quieting the crowd. This was the most critical moment for Gohan. Just because they were scanned to test their power levels before the battle, didn't mean you had to let your real strength show. No one ever did. That would be giving away too much information to your opponent.

"Teeth or tails?" the announcer asked Gohan, holding the coin up.

"Tails" he said steadily. The coin flipped through the air, it's golden glint catching the afternoon sun.

"Tails it is!" the announcer boomed.

"Second" Gohan answered immediately, without waiting to be asked if he'd like to go first or not. His opponent shrugged it off with a roll of his shoulders and stepped onto the platform. These old types of scanners took a few seconds to read you, but it was all part of the event, so they would never be upgraded.

"I see you wear the markings of the line of endurance. Tell me, do you think you have what it takes to win your match?" the announcer knew how to keep the crowd's attention, and the young teen he questioned was happy to answer in the affirmative. There was quite a loud response from the crowd, but then again, this male was probably known to them. Gohan had been taught all the higher court's manners and ways, in preparation for his win today, but he had never been exposed to the masses like this.

"600! That's quite an impressive score for one so young! But what else is to be expected from this noble line! Alright son, step over here, now you, take your place" Gohan stepped onto the platform and let his eyes wander over the crowd as the machine did its job. He refused to look at the Royal box directly, where his father would be watching.

"You bear no markings... I don't think we've ever seen you in the arena before. Tell me, are you not proud of your line?" the announcer asked. Gohan was ready for the official's baiting though, and didn't let his incendiary words affect him.

"Tattoos are for those who don't aspire to earn scars" Gohan quoted his sire evenly. He could feel his opponent bristle beside him.

"Well, well, those sure are fighting words! Good spirit!" the announcer seemed quite pleased by the quickened murmur spreading through the crowd at Gohan's statement. The numbers of Gohan's reading flashed above his head a moment after that, and the announcer gave a low whistle. The din of the crowd rose back into a roar.

"601! 601! This is officially _a fight_! Everyone, place your bets!"

Gohan stepped off the platform, noticing the anger in his opponent had turned to quiet calculation. Though most saiyans had learned to read and control their power levels in the past few decades, such precision was unusual. Gohan hadn't needed to be _that_ close for it to be considered a good fight. If he had been within 100, they'd still have let them go at it. Farther apart than that wasn't considered worth it though. To come in _one point_ over … it was a slap in the face, and the crowd loved it.

Probably feeling like it would add to his own appeal, the larger teen stripped off his shirt before Gohan could. More tattoos were revealed across his chest and back. Gohan was beginning to see that Bardock's take on the situation was indeed correct. It was just as important for him to sway the crowd as it was to win. He peeled off his own, letting it fall to the platform with less flair, but more effect.

It wasn't that Gohan was some battle scarred veteran, but he did have a jagged one that ran down his left side and twisted to his back. The oiling made it and the one on the corner of his jaw stand out all the more. There were few things that couldn't be healed properly in a tank. Gohan didn't expect this male to be intimidated though. He wouldn't know any better. He wasn't even wrapping his tail around his waist properly.

The two of them jumped down into the main pit to wait for the starting bell. Gohan was greeted by the stench of blood and old sweat. It smelled like home. He didn't let himself get cocky though, and scanned his surroundings just as he had been taught. He'd already measured up all his opponents while they waited in the corridors.

When the start sounded, they both began circling, and the noise of the excitement doubled. Gohan couldn't hear anything but his own heart pounding in his ears, but he was prepared for it. When he was rushed a few moments later, he was prepared for that too. His opponent's moves were easy to read, and predictable even aside from that. At one point, the fool even made the mistake of trying to plant his foot where a previous loser's blood was still coating the stone floor.

Gohan let him think he had a chance for a good fifteen minutes as they grappled. Quickly changing tactics, he reached past his opponent's defenses and broke three ribs in rapid succession. When the teen began involuntarily coughing up blood, Gohan took a few steps back and just waited. Ignoring the signal that he was being given a chance to give up, the bloodied male tried to stand. Gohan thought about grabbing the tail that waved angrily behind his tattooed torso, just to teach him a lesson.

Surprisingly, the larger saiyan was able to get to his feet, and seemed to finally remember his tail. He obviously had little experience with someone really trying to kill him. Gohan crouched low again, waiting, making his injured opponent come to him if he wanted to keep going. He did, but it wasn't for long. Gohan grabbed the charging bulk around his waist and dropped to one knee, using his agility instead of strength to counter.

Flipping through the air with the force of his own momentum, Gohan's opponent landed with a smack against the stone. There was no move made this time, to try and get up. Even with stamina, it was hard to fight with that many internal organs punctured. Gohan had some of the loser's blood on his shoulder now, but he didn't even bother wiping at it. It wouldn't be the last before the end of the day.

As the body was being drug away, Gohan's arm was lifted up in victory by the announcer.

"Good fight, good fight. Tell us your name, now that you've been victorious in your battle" he was instructed, this being the crowd's cue to quiet down for a moment.

"Gohan, son of Kakarot"

In less than the split of a second, the noise around them became deafening. It felt like the very ground beneath them trembled with it.

"My, my, my..." the announcer turned to the Royal box and gave a nod, "It seems we have a real _contender_ here."

Gohan raised his gaze to the box for the first time, but it was too obscured to see anyone clearly. He gave a small bow, even though it wasn't necessary, then resumed his stance. He could feel his father's power radiating from the place of honor, beside the King. Bardock was there too, and other powers strong and small that he didn't recognize. One of them would be the prince.

Pushing the thought aside, Gohan left the arena as indicated to make way for the next round of contestants. The area the first round winners waited in was no different than where he'd waited before. Just a different hall of the former dungeon. The biggest change was that everyone here had a name, being winners.

If all eyes _hadn't_ been on him when he came in, it would have been strange. But Gohan ignored it.

In a lesser tournament, one purely for entertainment, fights were sometimes known to break out in the waiting rooms. With this level of competitors though, and the seriousness of the prize, that was unlikely to happen here. Gohan had never seen the young prince in person, but he knew his likeness. There was only one person on all of vegeta-sei with that color hair.

Even though he was a half breed too, like the prince, Gohan had a normal saiyan's coloring. He had more of a mane, like the picture he had seen of his uncle Raditz, rather than the spikes of his father and sire. He let his dark hair fall to partially cover his face right now. It was a small amount of privacy during a long wait. With the prince reaching an age where he should be taking a bond mate soon, the honor of being his bodyguard was sort of implicitly tied with filling that position too.

All of vegeta-sei it seemed, had turned out to watch the vying.

As he rose through the ranks, Gohan only had to fight one other half-breed. He was just a cub of eight though, and still no serious threat. Being the first of the offspring produced in the experiment of mixing with humans, Gohan wasn't expecting any others to be put forth as potential bodyguards. Prince Trunks at ten was the second of their kind, and all others even younger than him. Ironically, the eight year old was the best challenge Gohan was given among the entrants.

When all challengers had been defeated, Gohan stood from the puddle of fluids he'd created, and bathed in the adulation of the people. The last opponent had demanded a fight to the death, as was fitting. Gohan gave it to him. He had only to be vetted by the King's guard now, and then he would be accepted into their ranks.

The vetting was probably the only fight Gohan felt anxious over.

If the King was in a mood, Gohan could end up having to fight his own father. Which was a fight he couldn't win. Any of the King's guard could be put forth though... Gohan had to be prepared to do his best against any of the others, without embarrassing them and making an enemy. If he didn't do well enough though, he wouldn't have a good standing among the other males.

Bardock had told him once that this kind of shit was the reason he stayed out of politics.

It was a position of the highest honor … but Gohan felt that even after just this small taste, he'd have chosen Bardock's path instead. If he'd had a choice. Gohan knew both his father and the King wanted the half breed program to be seen as a success. For obvious reasons, he did as well. So he awaited his vetting with patience, determined to make his father proud.

~/~

"It's my right!"

"Calm down, Nappa"

"I'm the General here, you third class piece of-"

"Nappa" the King's tone brooked no argument when he interrupted their altercation. Everyone was quiet, and waited to see what Vegeta's decision would be.

"If the General wishes to vet the brat himself, then by all means, let him."

Nappa smirked, his chest puffing out ever so slightly in victory. He still had some favor left, when it was needed. Pushing past Bardock with a shove on his shoulder, Nappa made his way down to the arena, stewing.

He had never liked that pushy, blue-haired woman Vegeta had allowed on the planet. Speaking against her or the program was out of the question though, so Nappa had bid his time. In his opinion, the _royal heir_ was a joke. He even looked weak, exotically colored just like his _human_ mother. If Nappa couldn't go directly against them though, he would prove his point against Kakarot's brat.

"That was surprisingly easy" Bardock commented quietly once Nappa was well and gone.

"Hn. He's always been too ruled by his rage" Vegeta responded without looking away from the arena.

"May I ask, your majesty, why you waited until now to get rid of him?" Bardock always stayed polite with the King when they were in public. He'd been known to give the male a more honest treatment behind closed doors though, at least when he was younger. Pulling this kind of stunt without telling him first would definitely earn him a piece of Bardock's mind later. Not that he was worried for Gohan.

"I have my own points to prove" Vegeta sounded both irritated and bored. Bardock couldn't argue with that. He'd been urging Vegeta to get rid of the hot headed General for years. It did seem like the kind of thing Vegeta would do though, to keep the male he no longer trusted close. Waiting to use his death for an advantageous means was definitely not out of the King's character. It was just the method of his disposal Bardock disagreed with.

He hadn't told Gohan what to do if the commander of the entire Saiyan Army demanded a death match from him.

Cracking his knuckles, Bardock leaned back against the railing of the Royal box. He'd just have to hope Gohan came through and killed him like he was supposed to. The brat knew enough.

~/~

When General Nappa walked out of the gate, Gohan breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't his father. Letting his mind wrap around the reality of his opponent though, Gohan began to feel uneasy.

"Alright brat, let's see how you do against a _real_ saiyan!" Nappa powered up, glaring at the teen. "Fight me to the death if you think you're worthy!" he roared.

The crowd and announcer were in a riotous state over the challenge. It was unprecedented, though technically still allowed. Plus, it wasn't as if the General would have been sent down without the King's approval. Gohan nodded, accepting the match, and powered up to Nappa's level. He was multiple times stronger than this, but Nappa could be holding back too...

He'd been taught too well by his sire to make the mistake of underestimating his opponent. Even if he thought he was stronger than Nappa, the decades of experience the older male had on him were not to be dismissed lightly. Conversely, Gohan had always had the necessity of forfeiting his life, if need be, pounded into him. It was engrained too deeply for him to even think about _giving up_.

Nappa came out swinging, but not with the haphazard charge of the lesser fighters Gohan had faced so far. As the fight progressed, he discovered Nappa's ki attacks hurt like a bitch too. Gohan ducked under the massive male's arm and landed a solid blast to his back, but he knew it wouldn't be enough to fell him. It bought him time to breathe though.

"What's the matter you little mongrel? Can't take a real blast like a warrior?" Nappa taunted while crawling free of the rubble he'd made crashing through the wall.

Gohan had been to the brink of death many times in his training. He knew in the back of his mind though, that it would be counterproductive for his father to actually kill him while trying to make him stronger. With Nappa he had no such doubts. The General was trying to murder him, and none too discretely either.

"Go ahead, run away you little half breed coward. That's probably what you'd do defending the prince anyway" Nappa aimed another volley at him as he spewed insults.

That last one though…

Even as a small child, it had been easy for Gohan to pick up how most of the adults around him reviled the General. When he had asked why, he'd been given a long tale by Toma on bond mates and the King's Last Order.

Nappa had been the former King Vegeta's bond mate, and as such, wasn't supposed to leave his side. That was just how being a warrior worked. You fought together, you bled together, you died together. That was what was expected of Gohan for prince Trunks. But Nappa had let the King order him away, taking the young prince Vegeta to safety during The Ruse. The King had been killed, even though the prince was safe. There was a shame beyond speaking of in it for Nappa, having just _let_ it happen.

"How _dare_ you" Gohan spat back at him, his power jumping as he got genuinely angry. The mood of the crowd seemed to shift around him when he did that. Reigning himself in, Gohan stood stoically as murmurs flitted around them. Enough of the members of the crowd could sense power, to know that the General was in serious trouble now. The details of Nappa's _betrayal_ were not commonly known, but every saiyan liked to see a good upset match.

~/~

"How much have you told him?" Vegeta's head cocked to the side, eyeing Bardock's cool demeanor.

"It's not my fault the boy's smart beyond his years" was his gruff reply. The King turned his attention back to the arena with a sigh.

"Kakarot, I want to see everything the brat's _truly_ got, after introductions."

"Yes, your majesty."

Kakarot's eyes never left the field of battle, though he was perfectly aware of his surroundings. He'd not told Vegeta when Gohan had broken through, for several different reasons at the time. His son was doing well now though, and would impress the King later with his full strength. A small smile of approval quirked across his face when he felt the level of ki blast Gohan was leveling at his opponent.

~/~

Nappa was in the middle of laughing a bit too maniacally, when the amount of ki reflected in Gohan's hands suddenly became worth caring about.

"You little piece of sh-"

It was the last thing the General ever said. He should have learned to read power levels. The larger part of Nappa's enormous body was eaten away by the massive blast. He still had knees to fall to though, when what was left of his body crumpled to the ground.

Gohan steadied himself with a deep breath, and walked over to the corpse among an explosion of cheers. As he had been taught, he coated his palm in the old way, with his enemy's blood. Wiping a smear of it across his stomach, Gohan stood tall and raised his fist to the crowd. With all the excitement, the announcer couldn't grab his other hand to raise it in victory fast enough. The cries and screams from the crowd drown out whatever he was saying, they were so loud.

The words were irrelevant though. The smell of the blood coating him, and the jealousy of so many swirling around him, began to give Gohan a heady feeling. Before he really knew what was happening, he was being bundled off by a group of four guards. He would be presented to the King now, for appointment. Then he would be formally introduced to the prince.

Torch lit walls gave way to more modern lighting, and the halls Gohan was led through became less filthy. Their procession stopped in front of a pristine sealed door, and Gohan held himself tall. When it opened, Bardock was leaning against the wall on the other side. He casually spit off the edge of the balcony, and then turned to face Gohan. Summing up his pride with a rough smack on the shoulder, he lifted the teen's chin so he could see his face better.

"His eyes are still dilated, you should give him a moment to cool down" he said.

Gohan was having a hard time keeping his tail wrapped around his waist. He wanted to offer it into the space between himself and his sire, a silent gesture asking for approval. He knew he was too old for such childish things though, and kept it snug like a professional.

"Send him in" the King ordered, ignoring Bardock's advice. Rolling his eyes, the elder stepped aside, crossing his arms over his chest. Gohan approached as instructed, and knelt before the King. Vegeta minced no words, having seen plenty already. All he wanted now was to know if Kakarot's brat was strong enough to be a worthy guard for his son.

"Rise, and power up. To your maximum" he ordered.

Gohan stood immediately, and enveloped the Royal box with a golden glow. The King's cape stirred in the wave of the young half breed's enormous power, but he didn't even blink.

"I guess that will have to do" he said blandly after studying him, "Power down."

Behind the King's back, Kakarot and Bardock exchanged the briefest of glances.

"As the prince's bodyguard, you are expected to do everything within your power to protect him. Are you willing to die for my son if necessary?"

"Yes, your majesty" Gohan answered without hesitation. Vegeta crossed his arms and eyed Gohan again, with a more piercing gaze this time.

"I have one more question for you, before bringing you and the prince together."

Gohan knew a test was about to come. Especially since the King's phrasing was one used more for bond mates than body guards.

"Why did you kill Nappa?" Vegeta asked, his tone sounding less disinterested for a moment.

Gohan raised his gaze, meeting the King's, but keeping his face steady.

"Because he _asked_ me to, your highness."

From somewhere near the back of the room, a snicker sounded. Gohan blinked. He couldn't help but look away from the King when he saw his father break into a grin and chuckle. The throaty laughs of quite a few guards and advisers began filling the air, and even the King cracked a smile.

"Kakarot," Vegeta said over his shoulder, not bothering to turn around, "You left him with your father too long..." A few more laughs were produced by that, but Bardock's posture didn't change at all as he leaned against the wall. With a shake of his head, Vegeta resumed his seat and made a motion with his hand. A pair of guards stepped away to retrieve the prince. Gohan felt a ripple run through his stomach.

"..._asked_..." the King said under his breath, rubbing one temple with an amused tone.

Before long, the guards returned with the young prince in tow. Gohan was sure everyone in the room could smell how nervous he was, but he breathed deeply and tried to stay focused. Prince Trunks was of an average height, slightly smaller build, and stunning complexion. Gohan had never seen anyone who had eyes the color of a sunlit waterfall before. There was such a depth of challenge in them though, that Gohan was immediately reminded this was royalty he was dealing with.

"My prince" he said, dropping to one knee, waiting for Trunks to make the first move. The ten year old's voice was surprisingly deep when he spoke, sniffing the air as if wary.

"You need a bath."

"...Um, forgive me, I killed three males today..." Gohan said by way of explanation.

"If you're going to guard me, you're going to have to bathe regularly" Trunks squinted at him, his nose crinkling.

"I do" Gohan said a tad more defensively than he'd meant to.

"Really?" Trunks' tone seemed on the curious side of disbelief.

"Yeah..." this conversation wasn't going how Gohan had imagined it.

"Alright, I guess you'll do then. I accept" Trunks held out his tail, and Gohan stood to wrap his around it right away. He wanted to complete their introduction before anything else weird happened. The prince's 'acceptance' was a mere token, since it was actually the King's decision, and it had already been made. Suddenly each of their fathers were at their sides, with a hand on their shoulders.

"Now that that's over with, let's get back to the palace. I promised the King we'd show him your _true_ strength" Kakarot smiled a sparring smile at his son. The bottom dropped out of Gohan's stomach, but he only nodded in response.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Prince

It was funny, but Trunks could have sworn from the tension in Gohan's tail, that he didn't like fighting his father. It made a glimmer of hope stir in his chest, but he reserved judgment. He knew nothing of this older male, other than what he'd been 'told'. The prince hardly placed any stock in that. Underlings only told you what they thought you wanted to hear, so he had no idea what to expect from his new bodyguard.

Trunks had been excited that someone else like him was going to be coming to the palace. But Gohan seemed all too _saiyan_ as he fought, just like everyone else around. For him to not have a thirst to do battle with any and all opponents though... It might be a signal of more differences laying under the surface. He could still turn out to be some dumb, muscle bound asshole though...

Things were mostly quiet as they headed back. Neither one would feel free to speak openly until they were alone. Trunks knew his father didn't consider him incredibly politically adept, but it was just that he had his own things he cared about. He decided to risk a little harmless banter, just to have something to chew over while the spar went on.

"So, what's your favorite food?" he asked Gohan, feigning caring.

Gohan raised an eyebrow.

"Meat?" he said, finding the question odd. He was wondering if he was supposed to ask the young prince back in return, but the questions kept coming.

"How many times have you killed, in total?"

That was a much more relevant topic, and phrased in a way that meant _challengers_, not just lifeforms. But something about the vast gap of importance between the two questions pushed Gohan's mind into a sharpened state.

"Twenty-three..." he answered, listening carefully.

"And what would you say are the only two _real_ things?" Trunks asked, examining him with a tilted head.

It was quite a loaded question. Pride, honor, loyalty… All of those would have been 'acceptable' answers. Something in the way he said it though, made Gohan want to surprise this slightly cocky prince. He wasn't just another of the King's goons after all.

"Matter, and energy" he answered, as if that was obvious. Trunks' eyes widened just a fraction, and a light coloring brushed across his cheeks. Uncaring for the customs, he let his tail tap happily on the seat next to him. When Gohan saw that, he smiled, since it was a very cub-like posturing. The prince was still so young...

Deciding to take a small risk, Trunks' tail reached over and poked Gohan's into wrapping around it again. Mostly just to see what he would do. It was kind of a universal gesture, among all ages and relationships, of closeness and commiseration. Like how the human's hugged, or so his mom had told him...

Gohan let his tail wrap around Trunks' without comment, continuing to smile. The prince was beginning to think there was hope his mom might like his new bodyguard after all.

Even though Gohan's stomach was growling, he knew there'd be no end to this day until he and his father had fought for the King. As he suspected, they headed straight for the sparring rooms upon reaching the palace. Practice areas for those of a more common power were just rooms shielded to prevent damage from ki blasts. There was only one chamber that could withstand super saiyans sparing in it. The prince's mother, Bulma, had built it as one of her first projects here.

Gohan had heard of it, but never seen it with his own eyes. Bardock had let him study the science behind it a bit, until he thought Gohan was getting too distracted from his fighting. There was probably some wisdom to that. Knowing how this room worked wasn't going to help him hold up any better against his father inside it.

The two of them took their stances, and powered up.

The King and young prince waited at the edge of the room, going super saiyan as well to withstand the watching.

"This time, don't hold back" Kakarot said coolly. Gohan resigned himself to the anger in his father's eyes. There was just no way to make everyone happy all the time. Gohan had made an informed choice before, to only power up to the level he had in the Royal box. Now he would have to deal with the consequences. It was fine though. Gohan didn't have the political capital built up to _allow_ him something so insubordinate, as to be stronger than the King.

He knew how to take a pummeling from his father. He'd rather face that than the distrust fostered by defiance. His father was a hero, just like the King. Gohan was just a half breed. The entire time they traded blows, Gohan refused to raise his ki any higher than he had in the box. He was probably going to regret it tonight, but if things got really bad, there were always the healing tanks.

Gohan stayed focused and fought as smartly as he could, seeing the anger simmering below those turquoise eyes. He could tell the moment it sank into the older warrior, that Gohan was not going to give it his all. A surge of power rose up so quickly that he had no time to respond. Gohan was blasted away, hitting the wall with such force that it knocked the air out of him.

Pain exploded through his chest, and he had a feeling several somethings had just cracked inside it. Gohan tried to stagger back to his feet, not willing to give up just yet. Without warning, he felt an attack being leveled on him that brought a swell of panic to his pain riddled lungs. He didn't even take the time to give his father a disbelieving look, he just lurched to the side. A beam of concentrated ki sliced through the air where he had just been. Gohan wasn't quick enough to avoid it completely though.

It was probably a bad thing that he couldn't feel the wound...

The sound of a throat being cleared interrupted the flashing of Gohan's life before his eyes. No follow up beam came.

"While it's certainly within your right to kill the brat if you're displeased, I'll remind you, Kakarot, that such an action would leave my son without a bodyguard" the King's tail swished in annoyance, "And I have never been overly fond of tournaments."

Gohan could feel a line of blood trickling down the back of his arm to drip on the floor. His father blinked and then nodded, powering down. When Kakarot did, they all did.

"Right, sorry about that Vegeta. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you" he said with a grin.

The King gave a disbelieving snort.

"Show him where the infirmary is" Vegeta waved a dismissive hand at his son, and prince Trunks nodded curtly. "Kakarot, you've had enough for the day" the King motioned next, as if he was cutting off a drunk at a bar.

Gohan was flooded with relief, so much so that he thought he might pass out. Or maybe that was the blood loss. He stared at the growing puddle on the floor below him. No, he hadn't lost enough blood for that he decided. It might be the hunger though. Gohan looked over to the prince, unsure of what he would see on his face in light of this spar.

Trunks wasn't even looking at him. He was watching Gohan's father with wary eyes. He didn't look afraid. More like a cub who wasn't sure if they should trust the large predator that had just stalked into the room. It was good to see, but funny too. Funny in that the prince probably knew Gohan's father better than he did. At least, they had been around each other more, both living in the palace.

Only after the threat had left, following closely behind the King, did Trunks turn his attention elsewhere. Tilting his head to the side, he approached Gohan. Waiting for judgment, Gohan let the prince circle around him. He heard a small sigh from behind, upon his wound being viewed.

"Kneel" he was instructed calmly. Movement brought back the aches that adrenaline had suppressed, but Gohan tried not to let it show. He felt the prince gathering a small amount of ki. Then all the _pain_ he'd missed before suddenly seared across his back. Gohan had no control over the strangled cry that was ripped from his throat.

"Hm, I can't believe you didn't fall over..." the prince commented after he cauterized his new bodyguard's laceration. "There, at least you won't bleed out on the way to the tank" he said as he stepped back. Gohan had been given this rough, battlefield medicine before, and nodded silently. Pushing the pain down, he stood again and waited on the prince's inclination. He didn't know where the tanks were himself, even if he'd wanted to take the initiative.

"Your father's kind of an asshole" the prince said, unmoving as they stared at each other.

"Yeah" Gohan sighed. "I kind of thought it would be the other way around..." he muttered tiredly before realizing it. The prince burst out laughing though, unfazed by the slip.

"That's only because you haven't gotten to know him yet" he grinned, referring to the King. Trunks' blue eyes sparkled with mischief at their sedition. Gohan grinned back, but had the grace to blush over his previous admission.

"Do you think you can go a little while before getting in the tank? It's better if they don't put you under with an empty stomach..."

The prince bringing up food immediately made Gohan hungrier than he'd ever been before in his life.

"I can last a little while" he answered.

"Good. We can wait on evening out your hair until later..."

~/~

When Bardock bitched and moaned about how awful Toma's cooking was, Gohan had always thought it was just one of those 'old bond' things. Fruits and vegetables were for eating raw, and meat one step above that. Bread was tough and meant to last for days in the field without spoiling. After eating the food they had here in the palace though, Gohan was beginning to understand the possibility of "favorites".

"You're bleeding again" the prince leaned over and examined the mess that was Gohan's back.

"Is it bad?" he asked, loathe to leave without eating his fill.

"...They're probably going to make you stay in for the whole night at this point" the prince informed him, as opposed to going under for only a few hours.

~/~

Gohan tried to make note of the way to the tanks as they headed to them. He was kind of out of it though. It had been a long day. He caught sight of his ragged appearance in the highly polished door that led to the medical bay. Beside him, the prince looked like, well, royalty. Everything in it's right place, he thought to himself.

As he felt the soothing liquid rushing up from the bottom of the floor, Gohan closed his eyes for the familiar sensation.

"Send him back to me in the morning" Trunks instructed. A bow of obedience was given him, and then the prince strode from the room.

Upon reaching his chambers, Trunks sighed as he looked around at their empty newness. His mom had never let him sleep in her bed, so that wasn't an option... She didn't care for the saiyan custom since she liked to spread out and have the whole thing to herself. Trunks had curled up in his father's until this point, sharing it with Kakarot and occasionally Bardock and Toma when they came to the palace.

His tail twitched in irritation all over again when he thought of how he'd been kicked out of his father's rooms to start his own den. Trunks had his own personal bodyguard now, one who was also continually interviewing for bond mate. It was deemed fitting by the King that things switch over. Well, just because they kicked him out, didn't mean he had to allow Gohan to join him.

In reality, Trunks didn't want to sleep alone tonight. The amount of saiyan 'pack' mentality the desire indicated in him, made the prince huff with annoyance. He knew hardly anything of Gohan though. Trunks did feel a sort of kinship with the teen, but it wasn't enough to just let him curl up in his bed. No matter how much his father and Kakarot trusted him.

~/~

Thankfully coming out of the tanks always gave you a fully rested feeling. Especially with having been in all night. The action of the fluid removed all of the residual oil, sweat, and blood from Gohan while it worked too. He remembered the prince's words about bathing and decided to take him seriously about the cleanliness issue. He kept cleaner than most saiyans, but it never hurt to be extra careful when trying to make a good impression.

His first day at the prince's side was mostly procedural. As in, he proceeded to follow Trunks around throughout his entire schedule. At times the prince seemed annoyed to find him always two steps away, but at others he didn't seem to mind.

They got to spar together, and Gohan really enjoyed that. It was nice to have a friendly challenge for a change. Usually his choices were deadly challenge or no challenge at all... He wondered if the prince felt the same, but hesitated to talk about something so personal right away.

"Good spar" was all he said as they were leaving the floor afterward. Trunks looked at him out of the corner of his eye and nodded.

"Yeah, good spar" was returned back to him.

That wasn't Gohan's favorite part of the day though. His favorite part was when Trunks had to sit for his requisite amount of study time with his mother. Bulma was a very opinionated female, who thought her son's brain was just as important as his power level. Only after she saw that Gohan had no objections, cultural, personal, or otherwise to the studying, would she allow him to remain in the room.

The general palace guards that had rotated through previously, had been less than understanding of her desire. To the point that they had been banished from the classroom. To Gohan, Trunks being alone was completely unacceptable though. Bulma didn't even count, protection wise. So he insisted that he be allowed in. Plus, it let him listen in on Trunks' assignment... Not that he didn't guard him properly during it.

At the end of the day, Gohan felt good about his new life. It would take a little while for both of them to get settled of course, but this was doable.

"You're taking this, like, really seriously, aren't you?" Trunks commented as they changed for the night. Gohan was surprised to hear that the tone in Trunks' voice sounded almost accusatory.

"What do you mean? I,... Of course I am..." Gohan replied.

"You really think I'm going to be attacked inside the palace walls?" Trunks questioned him.

"My prince, just because we're in a time of peace right now, doesn't mean things will stay like this. If anything, saiyan history is more highlighted by periods where a war _wasn't_ going on" he countered.

"Well, you don't have to be in the same room with me at _all_ times" Trunks said, feeling slightly guilty for what he was about to demand. He could give Gohan a way out, but he couldn't make Gohan take it.

"Only on very rare occasions would it be permissible, until we're adults" Gohan recited. He left out the insulting insinuation of 'until you have enough skill to be alright if left alone'.

Trunks opened the door to his... their... _the_ bedroom, but just kind of stood near it without going in yet.

"If you're going to insist on that though, you'll end up sleeping on the floor" Trunks admonished him, as if it was his bodyguard who was being difficult. "I don't have an extra bed for you" he said firmly, letting it be known that Gohan was not allowed in his yet. "At least if you sleep out here you'll have the couch."

Gohan was quiet while he took in what Trunks was saying. The youth didn't smell upset with him, for all his harsh words, so Gohan was still hopeful. It almost smelled as if the prince felt bad for what he was doing...

"Don't worry about me" Gohan gave him a smile, waving off his concern, "I've slept on the ground with nothing plenty of times."

"You don't have to have _nothing_" Trunks went ahead and moved into the bedroom then. He grabbed one of the many pillows from the bed and tossed it to Gohan, who caught it easily. "I don't think there are any extra blankets around here though..." Trunks indicated. It was to be expected. A cold saiyan just raised his ki after all.

"I'll be fine, don't worry. You should get situated yourself" Gohan told him, placing the pillow on the ground at the foot of the bed. With a nod, Trunks complied, snuggling into his own covers. Gohan did an inspection of the room, for security issues, since he wasn't familiar with the space. Laying down on his side afterward, he pulled his newly issued cape over him as a makeshift blanket. He'd certainly gotten by with less before.

Gohan was waiting for Trunks to fall asleep before he would let himself doze off completely. He kept getting this itch like someone was watching him though. Listening to the feeling, he opened his eyes quickly. Two blue orbs flashed at him from over the edge of the bed, then disappeared.

"Uh, goodnight, Gohan" was kind of mumbled from above him. Gohan grinned. Trunks was definitely a curious one. They just needed a chance to get comfortable with each other, and Gohan was sure things would all fall into place.

"Goodnight, Trunks."

~/~

After a few weeks of guarding Trunks, Gohan made a small slip up. Bulma had accidentally knocked all the notes she'd prepared for that day's lesson off the edge of the table. His mistake wasn't that he picked them up for her, but that he put them back in order. Bulma's 'instructing' was basically strings of equations for Trunks to memorize. The names of people or their principles were more like side notes.

It was just the nice thing to do, to hand them back correctly. Gohan didn't notice the look Bulma was giving him as he hunted down a missing sheet. It was the second to last in her sequence, and kind of important.

"Thank you, Gohan" Bulma said slowly as she accepted the sheet, staring intently. Gohan gave her a hesitant smile, not used to being examined with such intelligent scrutiny.

"You're welcome, ma'am."

"Have you ever seen anything like this before?" she asked, holding up the page with a frown.

"Oh, sure. These are the base calculations that the special sparring room was built off of, right?" Gohan turned the sheet over in her hand, since it was upside down, and Bulma wasn't paying attention. He saw Trunks raise an eyebrow out of the corner of his eye.

"And who taught them to you?" she asked right away, highly skeptical.

"Uh, Bardock gave me the book, but, I had to figure out a lot of it myself." Gohan was quick to add, "I'm sure he could have, he just didn't _care_ to, you know..."

Bulma was nodding, as if she both did know, and didn't believe him at all.

"I'm really shocked that he'd let you take the time, with training for the tournament and everything" was the only polite thing she could think to say.

"Oh, no, it was years ago. I was nine the last time he let me do any serious studying. It was just getting in the way of my training, after a certain point" Gohan shrugged his shoulders.

Bulma pursed her lips and partially covered her mouth, suddenly deep in thought.

"I should have kept better track...we weren't going for smarts with him though..." she began muttering to herself.

"Hey, are we still having a lesson or what?" Trunks interrupted, seeing his mom starting to get lost in her own little world.

"Oh, um, yes, yes we are..." Bulma wasn't too deep in her thoughts yet, to not be able to claw her way back out.

It wasn't her fault though, that things came down the way they did on Gohan. She just wanted permission to assess the existing half breeds with a new set of standards. Vegeta had already formed half the answer in his head when he asked her 'why' anyway. The King had been the one to make the call too, in telling Gohan's father about it. It was to be expected. Gohan was here to protect, not to learn.

He hadn't done anything _wrong_, and no one accused him of anything unfitting. Kakarot just grabbed him by the back of the neck, hauling him off to spar the next day at lesson time. A different guard was always left outside the door, so it wasn't as if Trunks' safety was compromised. In his own saiyan way, it was actually kind of a caring thing for Gohan's dad to do.

It was only on alternating days that he got these special extra sessions anyway. He probably wouldn't have been able to survive much more than that. Not long after admitting how much he knew to Bulma, Gohan was spending every other night in the healing tanks.

The treatment continued for months, though he never complained. His life wasn't really his own to decide.

"You're a lot more...positive...than a regular saiyan" Trunks told him, seeing how Gohan didn't go into an angry rage when things didn't turn out the way he would have preferred.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I do remember Bardock saying something to Toma once, about being shocked I could even turn super saiyan, with my temperament..." Gohan replied, smiling to himself at the memory. They were still getting ready for bed when Trunks made another casual remark.

"Just so you know, you don't have to sleep on the ground anymore...if you don't want to..."

"I don't mind Trunks, it's up to you" he replied, not wanting to rush the prince.

"Unless you plan on kicking me out from under the covers in your sleep, it's ok" the prince eyed him with a mock suspicion. The 'accident' of pushing a cub out of bed was an age old signal that it was time for the brats to leave the room. Gohan was all too familiar with being expelled as well.

"No, I don't move around much. I'm a light sleeper" Gohan informed him with a chuckle. Nodding in approval, understanding flashed between them as the prince lead his bodyguard into their sleeping chambers. Gohan sighed as he was overwhelmed with the sheer _comfortableness_ of the bed. It didn't take long at all for him to start drifting off. As sleep was rising, he felt a tail brush against him, and he wrapped his own around it automatically.

The subconscious approval was all Trunks needed to cuddle up to the teen's back.

It was an acceptable position. Gohan would need his limbs free if he had to act quickly in the night to defend the prince.

~/~

At sixteen, Gohan felt good knowing he was doing well at the job he'd have for the rest of his life. Every once in a while, he'd be thrown a curveball, but it was usually Trunks doing it to him. Like that one night when they hadn't been able to fall asleep right away. Trunks had commented that Gohan sure didn't know much about human customs and culture, for being a half breed.

"Well, you've got your human mother here, even if she rarely comes out of her lab aside from science lessons. It's natural you'd know more about them. Plus, you have to, since you'll be King one day, and have to watch over our alliance with earth" Gohan had explained.

"So, you never met your mother? Didn't she come here for your birth, or something like that?" Trunks asked, his cheek resting on Gohan's back while he tried to remember what he'd heard of those first experiments. Most of what he knew revolved around the science of it, not the stories of those who participated. Everyone knew Gohan was the first, but once things had become successful, it was all about 'the program', not the individuals. Aside from himself as the prince of course.

"I did, and she did... She died when I was only a couple months old though. She caught an illness here that was too much for her human system to fight off. No more humans were allowed on vegeta-sei until Bulma came up with a vaccine" Gohan said in a matter of fact tone.

"Oh, that's right... I remember mom saying something about the early program having issues with the mother's health" Trunks recalled.

"You should pay more attention, if you want to be a good prince" Gohan chided him.

"Well, you should know more about humans too. You want to be a good bodyguard, right?" Trunks prodded him back. Gohan was quiet for a moment, reflecting on what Trunks had said. He rolled over to face him once he'd come to a conclusion.

"You know... You're right. Do, you think you could teach me?" Gohan asked, feeling kind of awkward in making such a request. It wasn't like there was anyone else to do it though. Bulma was far too busy to be worrying about things like this. Trunks' face lit up to be asked though. He nodded a few times, looking pensive, trying to think of something relevant to share.

"Hmm... Humans don't celebrate the anniversaries of their great warrior's deaths like we do" he decided to start with.

"Really?" that seemed rather disrespectful to Gohan, "Huh, I guess they probably don't have a whole lot of them, do they?"

"No, not like we do, that's for sure" Trunks grinned. "Instead, they celebrate the anniversary of when a person is born. They call it a 'birthday'."

"So, a warrior would be around to receive the accolades of their actions..." Gohan turned over this strange method in his mind.

"They do it for everyone, not just their great fighters. Well, I mean, the whole planet doesn't celebrate _every person's_ birthday, it's more of a pack level celebration" Trunks tried to clarify, "Only one for somebody like their King would they celebrate as an entire people."

"But, what if their King hasn't accomplished anything worth celebrating yet?" Gohan asked seriously, becoming more and more mystified by this custom.

"Uh, well, for them it's not about honor, or deserving it... It's kind of like, being happy that they came into existence, and have made it that far without dying. Once a person dies, their extended pack, or family, wouldn't celebrate their birthday anymore."

It took Gohan a few moments to digest all this, and his tail absently wrapped around Trunks' while he thought.

"I guess it does make sense, since they're such a weak race on their own, that they'd be happy just to have survived" he concluded.

"Yeah, that's probably true" Trunks agreed.

"They keep track down to the actual day?... I guess I know when mine would have been, since it's the anniversary of the program's success" Gohan thought out loud, "But when is yours? You were born in the summer, right? I remember the King saying you'd gained another year during the last one..."

"It is. Do you remember on the twenty-seventh day of the forest moon, my mom gave me that machine that plays human music?" Trunks asked.

"Yeah, I remember. That was your birthday?"

"Yep, that's why."

"Wait, she gave you that human machine _because_ it was your birthday?" Gohan frowned. Trunks chuckled a little, which sounded more like a giggle due to his age.

"They give presents to the person who's birthday it is, and everyone eats lots of sweet foods" Trunks informed him.

"Do the presents have to be music or machine related?" Gohan wanted to know, for future reference. Trunks outright laughed at that, but Gohan wasn't offended.

"No, it can be anything. The year before, my mom gave me a bag of these squishy sweets called 'marshmallows'. They come from a plant found only on earth. They were really good" Trunks said, remembering the sticky, puffy treats fondly.

"They must be a very highly prized food" Gohan nodded.

"Actually, they're pretty common on earth" Trunks contradicted him.

"But, you're a prince, you should get expensive, rare things..." Gohan frowned again.

"Birthdays aren't about showing respect though. They're more like a personal display, to show you care, that you love someone..." Trunks said softly, wondering if Gohan would be able to grasp the concept completely.

"Oh... I've heard that before... That humans are one of those species that have problems with 'love'..." Gohan was mostly quiet after that, feeling he basically understood now.

Trunks didn't detect any malice in the teen's voice when he said the word 'love'. Gohan said it with apathy almost, as if it felt foreign on his tongue. It was a lot better than the implication most saiyans gave it. Trunks had his own sort of gut feeling on the subject, after seeing the way Gohan interacted with Bardock. His half breed bodyguard may know more of what love was than he thought. Trunks didn't want to press him about it too much though.

Deciding to let things sit as they were, Trunks made it clear he was ready to sleep, and the conversation ended. He'd have to think of something appropriate to give Gohan for his birthday next month. The thought brought a small blush to his cheeks, but he really did appreciate Gohan. Trunks' life had become vastly different for having him around, and he was thankful. It was a human thing, to like to feel as if someone understood him, but he didn't care.

~/~

On the twenty-fifth day of the fire moon, Gohan turned seventeen. It was the first year he'd ever thought about it like that. Normally most thoughts, including his own, were occupied by the program. Those who celebrated it talked up its successes; two super saiyans were born of it after all. Those who were 'skeptical' grumbled in corners about how both of them came from the lines of super saiyans anyway.

Obviously there were many more detailed arguments for both points of view, but they were not spoken in front of the prince. They did get spoken in front of Gohan though. Sometimes it was point blank to his face, being one of the half breeds in question. The disparity of opinion was becoming more pronounced in recent years.

In the beginning it was hailed as a glorious plan. It would strengthen their entire race, to the point that no one would ever be able to subjugate them again. Bulma's genetic research had shown it could work. Gohan's birth had been a moment filled with potential, a product of the strongest genes from each planet. When he had achieved super saiyan at age eight, Bardock had been beyond impressed. Maybe even a little cautious. Gohan would never be so impudent as to think the war-hardened veteran was scared of him. It had been Gohan's first introduction to the world of thinking politically, when Bardock asked him not to reveal it to anyone but his father.

Trunks had gone super saiyan at much the same age, around seven, from what Gohan had been told. He understood now why such things were not immediately announced to the masses. Sometimes well meaning plans had unintended consequences, and they didn't want to make the public nervous before having more data to go on.

None of the other half breeds turned out to have gone super saiyan. At least, not that they knew of... Not yet... Now Gohan could feel his thoughts shifting along the lines of those that opposed the plan, and he shook his head to rid himself of them. He knew the half breeds were nothing to get worked up over, maybe a couple hundred of them scattered over the planet total. They were no threat, nothing to _fear_...

"Gohan, are you going to finish your plate?" Trunks asked, watching him with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yeah, sorry, just daydreaming a bit" he admitted sheepishly, his tail curling over to rest across his lap. Everyone knew he and Trunks were super saiyans now, and the world hadn't ended. It hadn't made things any _better_ though...

"Hurry up! I have something to show you after dinner" Trunks had that mischievous light in his eyes that made Gohan's interest pique and stomach unsettle. Either something fun, or something fun and _not allowed_ was going to be happening with that look on his face.

Gohan sighed.

"It better not involve trying to sneak into your mom's lab again" he said sternly, "Because if so, you're on your own."

"Nah, she doesn't have anything else cool in there right now. Just hurry" Trunks still had a little of that bouncy "cub" energy in his demeanor. Gohan wasn't sure he'd ever outgrow the mischievous mind though. Look at his mother.

"Fine, fine, I'm hurrying" he said, shoveling food into his mouth like normal.

He certainly remembered Trunks saying that humans gave presents on a person's birthday, but, Gohan was just a _guard_. He didn't expect anything to be given to _him_ by _royalty_. Thus he was speechless as he held the small, brightly colored box that Trunks had handed to him. They were back in their room now, and Gohan sat on the edge of the bed in shock.

"Thank you, Trunks. I'll take very good care of it" he said as he turned it over, examining the delicate yet beautiful outer layer.

"What?" Trunks frowned, "You don't even know what it is yet."

Gohan raised an eyebrow, his tail swishing as he thought.

"Is this box meant to be destroyed then?" he asked, gently testing the strength of it's surface with his finger. Trunks burst into laughter. Gohan was used to it by now. He knew it meant he'd done something that Trunks found hilarious.

"No, no" the prince came and sat next to him, still chuckling. "The box and the paper are just the wrapping, the present is _inside_. You tear the paper off to open it" he said, hooking his finger into one of the folds and pulling. A small rip was left, and he nudged Gohan's shoulder, indicating he should do the rest. Gohan did as he was told, and small cardboard box was revealed under the paper. Upon opening it, a small, sleek looking black cube fell out into his hand.

Another box.

"Is this one of your 'human' type jokes?" Gohan asked dryly.

"NO, it's the latest in holo technology" Trunks said sarcastically, taking it out of his hand. He set it on the edge of the bed, and tapped its side. A blue glow began coming off the top of it, and a moment later, a large screen-like projection was hovering in the air between them. A table of contents showing different options like "Main Menu", "Settings", and "Display" was now in between their faces.

"It's also motion sensitive, so you just point to the selection you want, like this, and it will take you into that sub-folder" Trunks explained.

"Ah, I've seen something like this display before, but not in this form... What does it actually _do_, though?" Gohan asked, knowing the applications for this technology were vast.

"It's for storing and accessing knowledge. We don't have anything like it here, except maybe my mom's computer. The humans like having groups of knowledge stored together. This invention of my mom's goes way beyond books or even a normal computer though. It'll never run out of power, and you can add to it's knowledge base later if you need to" Trunks said smugly.

"So, it's full of human knowledge right now?" Gohan asked, feeling a bit in awe. Humans may not be strong, but they were incredibly smart, from what he had seen.

"Human and saiyan. Everything the humans know, and all the saiyan things my mom's studied over the past couple decades are all on here."

"Does your mother know you have this?" Gohan asked immediately. Trunks rolled his eyes and made a dismissive gesture.

"Well, it's not _everything... _I mean, I didn't copy over her top secret experiment stuff, but just the rest of the non-encrypted data" Trunks confessed.

"I'm very flattered Trunks, but, I don't want you to get in trouble because of me..." Gohan blushed.

"You know why she keeps her lab locked up, right?" Trunks asked, giving him a blasé look.

Gohan frowned.

"So that I have to break in" Trunks informed him, flashing a confident smile.

"What? You mean it's like a game?" Gohan's brow furrowed even further.

"Yep. She told me when I was little, I was free to go in any time, as long as I could get the door open myself. I think it helps keep both of us on our toes" Trunks mused wisely. Gohan shook his head in amazement, and ran a finger down the edge of the cube. It turned off, and Gohan gently picked it up, estimating it's physical tolerances in his head. It wouldn't do to break such a valuable, one of a kind item on accident.

"That reminds me of when Bardock first took me out to hunt. We got out into the middle of the forest, and he told me that for the next two months, _I_ could only eat what _I_ killed" Gohan reminisced. "Your mom thinks more like a saiyan than most people would give her credit for."

"Ha. Well, I don't think Bardock counts as an example of an 'average' saiyan. Even without that occasional 'seeing the future' thing, you're all from the intelligence line too" Trunks pointed out, crumpling up the wrapping paper and tossing it in the trash.

"True" Gohan admitted, studying the cube and Trunks both. "Really, thank you, your highness" he said with conviction, feeling gratitude he barely knew how to express.

"You're welcome" Trunks grinned, overlooking the extra formality. The prince was getting better and better control over his tail, but when it was just the two of them, he often let it act freely. Right now it was waving behind him in a quite pleased manner, making Gohan smile back.

"Just make sure it stays our little secret though... I don't want you spending _every_ night in the tanks just because your dad doesn't value thermodynamic astrophysics" Trunks said with a wink.

~/~

Later that night, after he was certain Trunks had fallen all the way asleep, Gohan quietly got back out of bed. He moved silently over to the trash and pulled out the brightly colored paper that his birthday present had come in. Feeling like it really was too pretty to just be thrown away, Gohan smoothed it out. Then carefully he folded it into a smaller square.

He didn't have anywhere to keep it except in the drawer where his clothes went. Placing it on the bottom, he hoped the weight of the material would help it stay flatter over time. After he was done securing it Gohan crawled back into bed. Trunks snuggled up to him readily, even in his sleep.

For a few minutes, Gohan just stared at the peaceful face of his prince. He was beginning to have this feeling... A feeling that maybe if he didn't have to die for Trunks one day...he would be happy to spend a nice long life by his side.


	3. Chapter 3 - Restless

"_Sit. Still._" Gohan ordered under his breath. His lips barely moved and head tilted only a fraction in Trunks' direction. The ceremony commemorating The Ruse was less than halfway over. It celebrated the elder King Vegeta and Bardock's scheme to pit Frieza and Cooler against each other, decades before. Trunks was thirteen, hell, almost fourteen now, and seemed to go through these little rebellious phases at the worst possible times.

It would have been much easier if Gohan could just haul him off outside the amphitheater and give him a good pummeling. Gohan had been nowhere near this disrespectful when he was thirteen, he was sure of it. Perhaps the offspring of a minor official could get away with slumping in his chair, looking around in boredom, or twitching his tail in impatience. But not the prince.

Thankfully the King hadn't noticed yet. Although, the King looked fairly bored out of his mind as well, now that Gohan stole a second glance at him. He at least was sitting up straight and watching the presenter. How much of the speech Vegeta was really hearing though, was seriously up for debate.

Gohan actually liked this story, how the former King had taken a chance on the vision of a brash yet gifted warrior. The danger of the false-flag mission to attack Cooler's forces under Frieza's banner was exciting too. Of course it was regrettable that the elder Vegeta had been killed. The Ruse had allowed the current King and Gohan's father the time they needed to grow stronger though.

Vegeta-sei was not destroyed as in Bardock's vision. The bitter in-fighting to become the Planet Trade Organization's rightful leader lasted for almost twenty years. By the time Cooler finally made his end move and slew his brother, their super saiyan fathers were ready and waiting. There was a lesson to be learned there about fighting amongst royals of the same house too. Gohan doubted Trunks was going to catch it with his eyes closed and head leaning back against his chair though...

Slowly uncoiling his tail, Gohan snaked it up inch by inch without touching Trunks, and then tickled the end of his nose. The lavender haired prince sneezed loudly, his head flying up and eyes blinking. Gohan's tail was back around his waist quicker than lightning. The speaker faltered in his tale for a moment, and Trunks blushed, every eye on him suddenly. Gohan calmly handed him a handkerchief without taking his eyes off the platform. Trunks accepted it with his cheeks darkening even further.

The performance went on in the next moment, and it was all Gohan could do to keep from smiling. Of course Trunks knew it was him, but there was nothing the prince could do to retaliate right now. Gohan had a feeling he'd pay for it later during the much less formal feast that was held inside the palace. Feasts would be taking place all over the planet tonight, in honor of the fallen King and The Ruse combined, since it was his single greatest achievement.

When Bardock was killed, his name would likely be toasted right alongside the former King's. It had been just as much his accomplishment. Since he was still living though, his role was more to stare at the speaker ominously, threatening pain if any details were fudged. Gohan envied him, not for the first time. But he was also starting to wonder as he got older, if his sire's life wasn't quite as free of strings as he played off.

It was hardly the time right now to have a heart to heart, as Trunks would call it, with his grandfather. That was another interesting term he'd picked up over the years from the prince. It seemed the humans liked to make themselves feel as important as possible for just having existed, even with their labels. _Grand_father. Gohan thought the word 'sire' pretty much said it all already. Without him, the rest of their pack's line would not have existed.

It was his sire who tipped him off with a small hand signal, to be on his guard as soon as they walked into the dining hall. Dozens of important houses and powerful diplomats were here tonight, so Gohan already knew to keep an eye out. The actual initiating of a signal though... It meant more caution was necessary than just maintaining a background awareness. Something had Bardock on edge.

Gohan closed the few feet of distance between himself and Trunks. Subtly, he guided him over to his mother at the head of the hall, with the King. Bardock and Toma often acted as Bulma's sort of impromptu guards when she bothered to show up for official events. Since she wasn't saiyan, she wasn't allowed to be appointed permanent ones. As earth's ambassador, she was technically supposed to bring her own, but scoffed, saying she could handle herself.

Being that it was the 40th anniversary of the elder King's death, it was sort of a big deal, and her presence was required. It also made the event a target for those who didn't like the program. Gohan knew if anything did happen, Trunks would be conflicted over protecting her. So it was best if they were near each other. With four super saiyans in the room, it wasn't as if any outright attack on the royals themselves was feared.

As soon as they made their way to the King's side, Gohan could see what the trouble was.

"Paragus" Gohan said his name with distaste, not entirely meaning for it to be out loud. Trunks' face had a tight look to it, but his eyes were neutral.

"Yes, and what was his son's name again?..." Trunks wondered aloud to Gohan, feigning indifference and doing a purposefully bad job of covering for Gohan's little outburst. Paragus' face grimaced with disgust, probably to be in the presence of half breeds.

"That is hardly of concern to you, your highness, to remember the name of every _minor_ dignitary's son" Gohan said, putting emphasis on the word 'minor'.

"Now, now, it's only polite though" Trunks commented, patting Gohan's arm as if to say, 'settle down there'.

"Broly" Gohan said curtly, trying to keep a check on his power as well as anger. He wasn't about to let this insufferable male put him off guard.

"My son's name shall stick in your mind with more permanence after this night," Paragus said coolly, "He's finally returning from his mission off world, and will be making an appearance at the King's table."

He made it sound so honorable and formal, but it was all one big table, so everyone was technically 'at the King's table' tonight.

"Well, good for him" Trunks nodded sincerely, if not a bit overly so. It was a fine line, between being earnest and being mocking. At least for Trunks anyway. Paragus took his leave to go mingle with the other guests after that.

"It's about time you two morons showed up," Vegeta said in annoyance, "I've had to listen to that idiot prattling on about pure bloodlines for over twenty minutes now, waiting for you to come and scare him off."

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, father" Trunks gave a quick half bow, grinning at the comment. Good thing they had headed straight over. Vegeta waved dismissively, but Gohan noticed his eyes narrow as he looked out over the room behind them. He discretely stepped in between whatever was back there and Bulma, pulling Trunks by the arm as well. He saw Toma's hands go to Bulma's shoulders in a protective gesture right before the explosion went off.

By saiyan standards, it was enough to knock several of those caught unaware off their feet. No one in the King's party was injured though. It would have taken far more than chunks of rock and metal flying through the air to get past the combination of Kakarot and Gohan's ki shields. Guests were powering up left and right as well. There was no way to get a bead on any ki that might have seemed out of place, or who might have done it.

"Stand down!" Bardock roared into the chaos, and immediately their race obeyed him, reducing their powers. A few foreigners who had enough ki to bother with were slower in complying, but eventually dropped back down to normal. Gohan had never smelled this much unease from a room full of saiyans. Chunks of plaster fell from the ceiling, and a few fires were trying to take hold in the carpet. Bardock and two other guards investigated the detonation while everyone waited tensely.

After looking thoroughly, and even smelling a bit of the rubble, he came back and spoke the conclusion most of them were already thinking.

"It wasn't ki powered."

Every eye in the King's party glanced over to Bulma.

"Have the palace swept for any more devices, start with the woman's room and lab" Vegeta ordered, "Do it yourself, Bardock."

"They couldn't have gotten in there..." Bulma said, almost to herself, referencing her lab.

"Better safe than sorry, ma'am" Toma said from behind her. They all knew such a weak explosion could only have had one target. There was no one else here they could have hoped to hurt with it.

"I would suggest removing Bulma from the hall now anyway. If you would be so kind as to provide us access to your lab?" Bardock said, addressing her directly for that last part. The blue haired woman didn't look that shaken, more like pissed that she'd have to allow others inside her private space... But she complied.

Their next move was a toss up, strategically. They could all stick together in case there was another attack tonight. Or they could split up like normal, so they didn't make one big target. Vegeta's call was to have Bulma stay with him and Kakarot for a few nights while the thorough sweep was conducted. The 'brats' would continue to sleep in their own chambers.

"Um, Gohan... You can let go of me now" Trunks said softly when they were all disbursing. The guests had already been filed out for questioning while the royal pack talked. There was no need to stay in the hall any longer.

Gohan's brow furrowed since he'd let go of Trunks' arm quite a while ago. He blushed when he realized that his tail had wrapped around Trunks' leg protectively, right above the knee. Unwinding it quickly so the prince could walk properly, Gohan cleared his throat.

"Sorry about that" he said, feeling embarrassed to have done something so intimate in public, and that everyone would have had seen. He wasn't sure if it was worse that their _parents_ had seen it, or that _none of them had said anything_. Did they all think he and Trunks were already that close?

"It's ok, come on" Trunks said, hitching his head and giving him an encouraging smile.

Gohan had to admit the young prince had grown quite a bit in the past few years, but he was still only thirteen. They weren't even officially bonded yet. He mulled over all those things probably more than he should have, while they made their way back to their rooms.

It wasn't like either of them could really sleep right now. Trunks flipped through a collection of earth's classic literature while Gohan studied particle physics on his holocube. Saiyans didn't have any classic literature. Finally the events of the day caught up with him, and Gohan decided to bathe and then turn in.

As usual, once Gohan got in bed, Trunks snuggled up to him. Their tails wrapped together as soon as he laid down. Trunks pulled at his shoulder though, silently asking him to turn around. Gohan obeyed, figuring the prince wanted to talk a little bit.

Gohan was surprised when a pair of warm lips descended on his, but it was pleasantly so. He just hadn't been expecting it. Kissing Trunks back was as natural as flying. Gohan accepted Trunks pressing closer too, and wrapped his arm across the small of the prince's back. He knew in the recess of his mind that he couldn't let things go much farther than this, but he had to admit he was enjoying it. Was this right or wrong? With Trunks so young? Gohan couldn't really tell now, after the tail incident.

"Thank you" Trunks said breathlessly, his forehead pressed against Gohan's shoulder as they both caught their breath.

"For letting you kiss me?" Gohan asked. Trunks laughed, but it was quietly, and contently.

"No. Well, yes... But, what I meant was, you know, including my mom when you did your protecting" he said sincerely.

"You're welcome. It was a situation where it happened to work out to make both moves though..." Gohan wanted to make sure Trunks knew that he might not always be able to include Bulma's safety in his plans.

"I know, I just... You didn't have to, but you did when you could" Trunks wanted to add, '_and I think I'm in love with you_', but he was too scared.

"I know how much you care for her" Gohan said softly, giving a small smile in the darkness and rubbing Trunks' back.

"She's not the only one I care for" Trunks whispered, unable to make himself look up to meet Gohan's eyes. He willed Gohan with all his might to _get it_, because that was as close as Trunks could come to saying it.

From the way Gohan started kissing him again, Trunks was fairly certain he got it. Gohan didn't really need to say it anyway, because Trunks already knew. Which was good, because in the middle of their kissing, Bardock and Toma made a sudden appearance in their room.

Shit. Gohan hadn't thought about the two of them needing a place to sleep when they were done. He casually moved his hand from Trunks' lower back to his hip, but then he wasn't sure if that was any better...

"Move over" was all Toma said as they peeled off their boots. Bardock certainly gave them a look, but it was more of an 'I'm too old to have to deal with this kind of shit' glare of annoyance, than real disapproval.

Poor Trunks was completely red, having been 'caught' kissing his guard. He didn't back away from Gohan's arms though. When they were told to move over, he pushed closer to Gohan, almost in a bit of defiance. Gohan scooted back toward the edge of the bed, pulling him close again with a smile. Bardock and Toma got comfortable after that, and were soon snoring away. It was probably for the best.

Gohan hadn't prepared himself at all yet, to resist the prince's bright blue eyes.

~/~

The next morning over breakfast, the King and Bardock had a sort of informal security meeting. A few leads from the detonation were being followed up on, but nothing conclusive had been determined yet. They were terse conversations, as all that took place while eating were for saiyans. When everyone had said and eaten their fill, chairs were scooted back and limbs stretched.

"Any last advice you'd care to put in?" Vegeta asked, more as a way to let Bardock know the conversation was ending.

"Yeah, there's one more thing actually" Bardock said as he stood and nodded in Gohan and Trunks' direction, "Get those two bonded. Today."

Vegeta rolled his eyes, but it wasn't at Bardock. No, it was the special kind of put-out that he reserved only for his son's actions. Especially after he saw the blush on both their faces at being called on it.

"I hardly think a little slip of the tail is worth having to add _that_ to the list of things I need to do today" Vegeta responded, sounding tired already.

"I wasn't suggesting it because of the tail incident" Bardock said calmly, giving Vegeta a knowing look. That gave the King pause. He looked like he was thinking a thousand thoughts as his brow furrowed, but Bulma beat him to speaking.

"He's only thirteen" she said with a raised eyebrow to Gohan, obviously thinking more than just kissing had been going on from Bardock's statement. Gohan was about to defend himself, when the King finally spoke. His tone allowed no room for argument.

"Get over here. Both of you" he ordered. Gohan and Trunks rose without a word, and walked to where the King was still sitting. Vegeta eyed them evenly as they approached. Gohan knew he hadn't done anything wrong, so he wasn't nervous. He just hoped they weren't punished without being given a chance to explain. When they were both side by side in front of him, Vegeta gave another order.

"Kneel."

Gohan obeyed, and bowed his head slightly, but Trunks looked straight on, watching closely to see what his father was going to do.

"Kneel facing each other, you halfwits" Vegeta groused, knocking Trunks upside the head.

Oh.

They were doing this now?

"Get them a cloth" Vegeta ordered to no one in particular, simply expecting to be obeyed. He pulled out his dagger, which was a bit overly embellished, but would do. The King couldn't be seen wearing substandard weaponry, even if he didn't need it.

"Grab the blade already, I don't have all day" Vegeta instructed. He held the dagger between the two of them, and Gohan felt butterflies in his stomach as both he and Trunks reached for it. Once their palms were clasped firmly on either side of it, someone finally handed the King the cloth he had asked for. Vegeta accepted the bare white handkerchief, and then pulled down abruptly on the blade.

Pain laced through Gohan's hand, but he wouldn't have pulled away even if the planet was exploding. He saw the King cleaning off his dagger with the fabric before sheathing it again. Blood was beginning to seep down Gohan's wrist in a single, thick line, and Trunks' as well. Vegeta bound their hands together with the cloth next, the blood soaking into it immediately.

"Looks like you brats just earned yourselves the morning off" the King grumbled while he tied it securely.

"That was probably the fastest bonding ceremony in the history of the royal line..." Bardock commented dryly.

"Do you have any idea how much ruffled fur I have to smooth down today after having all my guests interrogated last night?" Vegeta spat back at him. Turning to Gohan, Vegeta roughly grabbed his chin and forced him to look up.

"I know you're not actually fucking, or I'd have smelled it" Vegeta's gaze flicked over to Trunks, whose cheeks filled with color again. "Give it a few more years" he warned with a pointed look, then released Gohan's face.

"Have their bond formally announced through the normal channels" the King's cape swished behind him as he turned on his heel, "I'm already late for my first ass kissing." Of course the only implication there could be that others would be kissing his. For him to take the time to let them was the part intended to soothe wounded egos.

Gohan and Trunks would stay with their bleeding palms bound together for several hours, so their normal routines were suspended. Gohan was pretty sure it wasn't so that Trunks could pull him back to their room and kiss him the whole time...but he wasn't complaining.

~/~

After a few days, the culprits from the detonation were eventually found. The King had finally called in a pair of fighters from a line known for their extra keen sense of smell. They were able to track down the trace scent left by the ingredients of the bomb. In the back of Bardock's mind, he knew the real disturbing part was that they had to.

The squalid shack that had served for the making of the device was found with three low-class nobodies in it. Plenty more materials were around for making additional devices. None of the males would talk though, and that put Bardock at even further unease.

Saiyans didn't use this kind of technology. Half the products they found could only have come from off world to begin with. These brutes were obviously just the bottom of the barrel in a chain of command none of them had known existed before this.

When nothing could be dragged out of them, all three were publicly executed. At Bardock's urging, it was done for "attempting to assassinate the earth's ambassador". Something about this whole mess told him to keep it diplomatic. All the males could have been put down under the heading of attempting to lay a hand on the prince's mother too. With the growing dissatisfaction among certain households over the program though, it didn't seem prudent to stir the pot just yet.

Bardock wanted a chance to initiate a few things, get a few inquiries going in the old way, before stirring. Loyalties sometimes ran in branching, divergent ways among saiyans. It was part of the reason saiyans were ruled by the line which had proved strongest to begin with. Bond mates were held in just as high of a regard as lineages most of the time. At least among the lower ranks. But all saiyans bowed to power.

Using the haphazard network created by the bonds had helped he and the elder King to circumvent Frieza's suspicions, but only for so long. Bardock hoped he was still able to get in on the ground floor of this faction before their own methods were used against them. When it did come time to stir, they would see what rose to the top, and crush it.


	4. Chapter 4 - Life Lessons

Over the next year or so, Gohan discovered that Trunks' appetite for kissing him didn't lessen at all. He had now grown accustom to facing Trunks while they slept. The lavender haired prince always kissed him before they fell asleep, sometimes for quite a while. Gohan himself, well, he usually was able to handle it fine. Usually.

When he had been Trunks' age, he'd had a very important goal he was working toward to distract him. Plus, there weren't a whole lot of others around out at Bardock and Toma's place. They did live a quarter of the way around the planet. Members of their team from the old days would stop by with some regularity, but they were his sire's comrades. Gohan would never have felt comfortable initiating anything sexual with them.

Sure he masturbated a lot more than the other males around him, but that was to be expected. Or so he had thought. The young were full of hormones, right? He didn't realize anything about himself was different in that regard until coming to the palace. Being around saiyans more his own age made it too obvious to ignore though.

Sparring, training, showering off afterward... There were plenty of opportunities to be exposed to the norms of saiyan sexual tendencies. Most males wouldn't hesitate to relieve themselves if they needed to while showering with the other guards. Gohan stopped doing it around them when comments about how _often_ he was plagued with the need started surfacing.

Apparently doing it every other day or so really stood out when the rest of the males only did it once every week...or two... With all the sparring the guards did, that was enough to get the blood flowing, right? Gohan just took care of things in their private bath these days. Though with Trunks kissing him to sleep each night, it was more like every single day now...

~/~

The morning of Trunks' fifteenth birthday was the first time Gohan was ever woken up with a kiss. A soft, gentle pulling at his lips dragged his consciousness from the depths. The prince did have a lot of practice at this point.

"Morning..." Trunks said when he saw Gohan's eyes finally flutter.

"Good morning... Happy birthday" Gohan answered, smiling, and only half awake. The kissing continued then, which Gohan was happy to let go on for a little while. At least until Trunks rubbed his hardened length against Gohan's thigh.

They were both more than familiar with waking up to the stiffness of erections pressed between them. Gohan had made it very clear from the beginning though, that _that_ was off limits. Like an older male should, he had walked Trunks through the basics the first time it happened to the young cub. But that was it. Those kinds of things were always taken care of separately, especially after the King's order.

Gohan broke the kiss and began to gently pull away, not wanting to make a huge issue of denying Trunks this. He really shouldn't be asking anyway. The prince's arms latched around his torso though, preventing Gohan from moving back.

"Trunks..." he said, a chiding tone forming already.

"It's my birthday" Trunks said sullenly, nuzzling at Gohan's neck.

"What does that have to do with it?" Gohan asked.

"I'm fifteen now, I'm old enough" Trunks' voice had a bit of pout in it, as if he knew how this conversation would end, but he was going to try anyway.

"You know your father said to give it a few years" Gohan frowned. He had figured he'd have to deal with this eventually... So why not on Trunks' birthday? Sure.

"Yeah, and I was thirteen then, and I'm fifteen now" Trunks purred, rubbing against Gohan's leg again. Gohan put a hand on the smaller male's hip, stopping his action.

"It's been less than a year and a half since then" Gohan countered, and to his surprise, Trunks bit him. Not an angry, retaliating bite, but a slow, sucking bite on his neck. It sent a jolt through Gohan's system.

"Fuck..." he said, as an exhaled breath.

"Yes..." Trunks' voice answered in a groan, "I want to fuck."

Rubbing himself against Gohan didn't seem to produce nearly the effect that stimulating his neck had. Trunks knew his best chance to get his bodyguard on board was for Gohan to be as hot and bothered as he was. Reaching down between them, he palmed the front of Gohan's light sleeping pants. The firmness he knew would be waiting there bucked against his hand. Trunks smiled into the renewed kiss they were sharing.

"No" Gohan broke the kiss abruptly, realizing he was letting Trunks stroke him through their clothes.

"Look me in the eye and tell me that" Trunks said sarcastically, heat pouring off of him. All Gohan wanted to do was melt against him at the moment, but he had more self control than that. He tipped Trunks' chin away from where he was trying to descend on his neck again.

When he locked onto the blue of Trunks' gaze though, he was surprised to find that water could burn.

"...No..." he still managed to get out, but with a small waver in his voice and much less force.

Victory flashed in Trunks' eyes, and Gohan knew he was in serious trouble if he didn't find a way to divert this _now_.

Trunks rolled on top of Gohan and straddled him, pulling off his shirt with a sweep of lavender hair.

"Fuck, you're going to get us killed" Gohan groaned as Trunks helped him out of his shirt as well.

"My father's not going to _kill_ us for having sex" Trunks countered while he pulled off Gohan's pants.

"He might if he's in a bad mood..." Gohan grumbled, but it was having less and less protest behind it.

"No, that's _your_ dad" Trunks smirked at him, examining Gohan's naked hips with a brush of his fingers. This may be the only chance Gohan would get. Acting quickly, he flipped them over so that Trunks was beneath him. Then he began removing the younger male's pants for him.

Trunks didn't have time to make any judgments on the new position. Gohan's mouth just suddenly slid over his length. His body came alive in ways he hadn't even dreamed of, and he threaded his fingers through Gohan's hair. Fuck, this was really happening... Breathless moans fell from Trunks' lips, one after another. His tail swished dangerously against the sheets, before finally wrapping around Gohan's arm.

Trunks' hips tried their best to rock upward into the warm tension of Gohan's mouth. The dark haired male had them mostly pinned though, so it was difficult. He used his hands in Gohan's hair to urge him to take in more and more. It was so good, Trunks' entire body wanted to squirm, and he let it.

Getting such a reaction, Gohan knew he had Trunks right where he wanted him. Thank the moon. Not that he had any experience with blow jobs, but he had hoped it would prove enough to distract the adamant male from his true goal. Picking up the pace of his sucking, Gohan heard Trunks make an almost desperate sound above him.

Well, maybe he would give him just a _little_ _bit_ of what it was Trunks claimed he wanted... Making some of his saliva run down Trunks' shaft on purpose, Gohan let it coat his finger. He slid the single digit inside Trunks with a smooth, gentle motion. Trunks came in his mouth with a shout. Several shouts. Slim hips arched into Gohan's throat as he felt the prince clenching his hair almost frantically.

Gohan only choked a little bit, to his credit. He felt he'd done pretty good with swallowing things for a first attempt. He pulled his face off of Trunks, and then immediately stood. His bond mate was laying against the sheets, boneless, with his eyelids fluttering. Gohan was so hard he thought he might explode. Crossing the room quickly, he left Trunks to lay there and locked the door of the bathroom behind him.

Gohan leaned against the wall, facing the shower, and roughly grabbed himself. Trunks' most intimate taste and scent still filled his senses, and he came from only a few strokes. He groaned and grunted with the force of the imagery in his head. It all degraded into a low growl at the end, as he squeezed the last few drops of liquid from his length.

Trunks had noticed Gohan's absence, but was having difficulty keeping accurate track of time with his eyes closed. When he heard the grunts of Gohan cumming in the bathroom though, his eyes flew open.

"Bastard..." he said in the direction of the door, knowing immediately that he'd been played.

The bathroom door jolted as Trunks hit it with his palm. Gohan had pretty much been expecting that though.

"Hey! I may still be, … " Trunks gave just the slightest pause in his sarcastic declaration, "_Mostly_ a virgin, but I know that wasn't sex, Gohan."

"You're an asshole, Trunks" Gohan lobbed an insult he'd heard Trunks' mother use time and time again against the King, knowing it would have just as little effect. Trunks snorted from the other side of the door, and Gohan could practically see him crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, yeah, I love you too" the prince replied, and suddenly the atmosphere changed drastically.

It wasn't like Gohan hadn't already guessed. It wasn't really a surprise to him that the prince loved him. Never mind the inversion of the wording, Gohan could hear the soft truth underneath it. The surprising part was hearing it right now, that he would say it out loud like that. From the edge of panic that wafted through the air suddenly, Gohan would bet he hadn't meant to.

He turned and opened the door, catching Trunks with his hand raised toward the wood. Blinking, the prince blushed in the most attractive way Gohan had ever seen. Without a word, Gohan pulled him into a kiss, wrapping him up securely in his arms. He could feel all the tension drain out of Trunks' body when he did.

"I do love you" Gohan gazed earnestly into Trunks' upturned face. Trunks nodded, fighting back several different emotions right then, and not trusting his voice.

"It's ok, I understand" Gohan added, making sure Trunks knew neither the odd delivery or the fact that the love existed bothered him.

"I know you do" Trunks managed to clear his throat and get them out as complete words. He gave Gohan a quick kiss and then buried his face in his larger bodyguard's shoulder.

"Sixteen" Gohan said, letting out a resigned sigh. "It may still be too early to be in full compliance with your father's wording... But if you still want to go all the way then, we will" Gohan relented. He could feel Trunks' lips smiling against the skin of his shoulder.

"Ok... I guess I can make do like this until then" Trunks confirmed with a slightly mirthful sigh.

"Uh, don't think you're getting a blow job every morning for the next year, brat" Gohan said gruffly, feeling a playful mood settle back over the room.

"But I'm the prince" Trunks said with a sweet smirk. Gohan had a much better immunity to that tactic though.

"Well then you must give royally good ones yourself" Gohan shot back, rubbing his thumb over Trunks' cheek. Trunks looked up at him with heat rapidly being added to the smirk.

"How presumptuous..." he said in his most condescending tone, then added, "I like that in a guard."

"Get in the shower, we're going to be late for breakfast" Gohan kissed the tip of Trunks' nose as he rolled his eyes. Then he promptly hauled him the rest of the way into the bathroom.

~/~

Expecting a slight interrogation, because of the smell, Gohan and Trunks prepared for the rest of their day. Even after showering, such a thing still lingered to a saiyan's nose. Certain people made it their business to watch for the combined smell on them anyway...like every single other guard in the palace. Low murmurs and even a few whistles rose up behind them as they made their way to breakfast.

Gohan couldn't make the same claim this time, of not having really 'done' anything... They walked straight to the King's side instead of sitting, earning themselves a raised eyebrow. Then the scent caught up to Vegeta's nose, and he tossed his roll down with a sigh. Gohan hoped it would help that they were being honest about it up front.

"Now, it's not what you think..." Trunks started. Gohan was hesitant to let him do the talking, but he had insisted, and Gohan couldn't refuse.

"We didn't have sex, Gohan just gave me a blow job for my birthday" Trunks declared with a grin. Gohan hit him upside the head.

"What the hell? Don't say it like that!" he rounded on the teen. Trunks was obviously trying to look sheepish, but not at all sorry, his eyes lighting up playfully. Did he not know this was serious?

The look on Vegeta's face was as stoic and not giving of a damn as usual, and Gohan hoped that was a good sign.

"Sit the fuck down and eat your breakfast" he commanded with a tone that indicated he found their display ridiculous on several levels. Vegeta shook his head as he picked his food back up. He heard Kakarot chuckle beside him as the cubs made their way to their normal seats. The bulkier saiyan started to open his mouth, and Vegeta grimaced to think of what he might be about to say.

"Wow, that certainly does bring back mem-"

"Kakarot" Vegeta cut him off, "Do not make me order you to break all your own limbs" he said in a warning tone. After their eyes met in a brief flash, Kakarot went back to chuckling instead, and Vegeta to eating.

~/~

Bulma pulled Trunks aside after the meal to give him her own present, and Gohan a 'look'. He couldn't tell though, if it was one of 'I'm watching you', or one of approval...

Upon seeing Trunks' relative disinterest in human methods of entertainment, like music, movies, etc., Bulma stuck mostly to gifts of food now. This year it was a large box of chocolate covered marshmallows and strawberries.

They had a fruit very similar tasting to strawberries here, but chocolate was another off world introduction. Given the way they usually inhaled food, most saiyans didn't take the time to do any fancy cooking. If you were rich enough to import a chef and ingredients from other planets, it was certainly enjoyed though.

The humans, with their smaller stomachs, seemed to invent their dishes based on getting the most flavor out of each one. Trunks was extremely pleased with the gift, partly because he knew Gohan had developed a bit of a weakness to chocolate. They were about to return to deposit the gift in the safety of their room, when Bulma stopped them.

"Oh, by the way, you wouldn't mind doing a tiny favor for me today, would you boys?" she asked sweetly.

~/~

Gohan and Trunks had not been planning to go into the city that day, but it was ok. Bulma asked her son to inspect a shipment of parts for her from the Tylek planet. They were a tedious and slightly underhanded race. The last batch she had gotten from them wasn't correct when she received it, and they had a policy of no returns once the order was signed for. From then on, someone who knew what all the little pieces were had to be present when the cargo ship touched down.

Bulma had thought about starting a war over it, but decided it would be a waste of resources in the end.

She would have done it herself, but the ship was coming into the main port later than it was supposed to. Trunks certainly understood about conflicting schedules. He never minded getting out of the palace for a bit either. It wasn't like they needed any special clearance or extra guards, so it was actually easier for them.

Gohan was, approximately, the second strongest being on the planet, and Trunks somewhere around fourth. It was best not to get into actual 'strongest power level' matches with their fathers, for many reasons. Personally, Gohan suspected Trunks held back just as he did, not wanting to appear stronger than the King.

It wasn't an appropriate accusation to make aloud though, even when they were alone. It was actually one of the most backhanded insults that could be leveled in saiyan society. To say that your opponent must be holding back implied they couldn't possibly _really_ be _this weak_... So Gohan let it lay.

~/~

Arriving at the port brought back a lot of memories for Gohan. Trunks had been here a few times over the course of his life, but only as an observer. Bardock and Toma had taken Gohan off planet multiple times though. They loved to pit him up against creatures and conditions that couldn't be found on vegeta-sei.

Gohan knew they had liked the feeling of adventure it gave them personally too. It was pretty damn close to when they'd been an active squad, traveling the galaxy and kicking ass. Gohan had heard so many stories of 'the good old days' around camp fires on other planets, he could probably still recite them word for word.

Of course, it was the reputation the saiyans had earned doing that which brought Frieza to their door in the first place... Gohan didn't dwell on that aspect of it too greatly though. Most didn't. Missions under the PTO's rule had catered just as much to the saiyan's natural mentality. It was the underlying shame of having been subjugated that left a bitter taste in their mouths.

Gohan studied the markings on the different ships while he thought, noting which were from the planets of long time allies. Many races were also present at the port which wouldn't be in the rest of the city. Gohan stayed close, but not too close, to Trunks' side while they were there.

Once the shipment was looked over, with several 'discrepancies' cleared up and initialed, they were finally free to go. It really was like stepping between two different worlds, going from the spaceport back to the city. Cautious, interplanetary trade bustled along there. The way saiyans lived their day to day lives was much more primitive though.

"Hey, Gohan, let's take a walk for a bit..." Trunks suggested, instead of heading straight back to the palace.

"You mean walk back in the port, or in the city?" he asked.

"Just around here" Trunks replied, his tail brushing against Gohan's under their capes.

"I take it by 'walk', you mean find a place to make out for a while before heading back then" Gohan said with a smile, catching Trunks' tail with his own.

"Well, if that's not enough for you, we could always trade blow jobs in the back of a seedy bar" Trunks' face lit up with a mischievous grin. Gohan shook his head and steered Trunks off the main thoroughfare that lead to the space hub.

"Don't push your luck" he said with a growl. He didn't exactly let his guard down, but the both of them were more comfortable in this part of town. There was much less trouble they could get into among their own kind.

~/~

They did not trade blow jobs, or go into any bars, though Trunks did tease him about it a few more times. Most people didn't realize it was the crown prince and his bodyguard walking along the street until they noticed Trunks' hair. They certainly weren't incognito, but without a huge procession they stood out a lot less.

He and Gohan even found a secluded spot an the back of a random shopkeeper's store, to make out in for almost half an hour. Thankfully the shopkeeper's brats kept coming by every few minutes to spy on them, so it kept Trunks in check. They purchased a large amount of dried jerky from the place as thanks for the use of their 'facilities' afterward.

When they stepped back out on the street, Gohan could smell blood in the air.

That alone wouldn't be enough to raise any alarms in a saiyan population center. But the nearly empty streets were. Lively would have been a polite term for how they had been when Gohan and Trunks went into the store. Not so now. They weren't completely silent though. There was a fight of some sort going on to their left, a couple hundred feet away.

Fights were hardly uncommon, and in fact still the way most disputes were settled on vegeta-sei. Gohan sniffed the air though, and just felt all kinds of wrong about what was happening. He and Trunks both headed in the direction of the scuffle without even saying a word to each other.

"What's going on here?" Trunks demanded to know, his deep voice cutting through the din of the scuffle easily.

"Mind your own business" one of the older males from the outer ring scoffed without turning around, "Or else you'll be next."

This wasn't right. Gohan knew immediately if they'd been dispensing some sort of valid beating, they wouldn't have responded like that. Trunks raised an eyebrow, and tilted his head to the side, examining the male who'd spoken.

"I'd like to see you try, Bega" Trunks said with an icy tone, recognizing the saiyan elite. Red flags were popping up all over this mess. Gohan looked closely, and found several other high ranking saiyans in the group. These males weren't just elites, many of them were the current sire's of their lines. No wonder the area had emptied out. When Trunks turned super saiyan right there on the street, Gohan felt it was justified.

Now he had their attention.

All movement stopped, which meant they had already passed the point of this 'fight' being a real fight anyway. Males didn't live to be as old as these were, in this society, without knowing how to act in a pinch though.

"Your highness" Bega gave a small bow, and the others followed suit. "We were just finishing up a personal dispute" he finally answered Trunks' question. His tone was light, as if he hadn't done anything wrong. The arrogance of this male was unbelievable. Gohan swallowed down the anger that wanted him to go super saiyan and pound this moron into oblivion. It was Trunks' place to handle this, Gohan was just his guard.

"Oh? Well, from the lack of movement from your opponent, I'd say the dispute's been settled..." Trunks said blandly, "Unless of course you're implying that this one male issued a death match challenge to all eight of you at once?"

No one answered him.

Trunks' eyes flashed, and the lesser males in the group shifted uncomfortably, but remained silent.

"Move" Trunks ordered, the glow of his aura demanding obedience. He got it. Somehow, Gohan felt a wave of relief that he did. This was insane. For this level of passive defiance to be shown the King would have had Vegeta ordering people in chains left and right. If not beating them to a pulp with his bare hands...

As the crowd parted to reveal their prey, Trunks walked forward to get a closer look. Playing politics was one thing, but not if twice this many elites had attacked him would the prince have worried. He certainly felt no fear in their midst, though he knew Gohan wouldn't like the tactical issue of him being 'surrounded' by them. As expected, his bodyguard moved too, staying at his side.

The marred form huddling on the street struggled to move as they approached. Bruises and broken skin covered the young male's back, and blood matted his hair. This was the main city of vegeta-sei though, so he still tried to find the strength to kneel for the prince. As he moved, another form was revealed beneath him, one with bright red hair and a tiny tail.

That explained the cub-like female smell. She couldn't have been more than three, and was shaking as she clung to the male's side. That explained the thick fear riding the air as well. When the male finally made it to a position where he could look up at them, his eyes were a startling green. He coughed up a little blood before being able to speak. It was obvious that things inside him were just as damaged as his back.

"Your highness" he said, tilting his head back down in a bow. Gohan was sure it was the best he could do right now.

"...Son of Kra... Casey..." Trunks said after studying him for a moment. The male's eyes went wide that the prince would know his name. Gohan felt a swell of both affection and pride for Trunks, even in the middle of all this. He had obviously taken Gohan's advice seriously all those years ago, on being more familiar with the program.

"You're only, what? Twelve years old?" Trunks asked him, but his gaze was resting on the young female with him.

"Yes, your highness... This is Bran, my sister" he said, introducing her properly.

"Is she ok?" Gohan spoke out of turn, but he was beyond caring for that right now. He took a knee and placed his hand on the cub's back, trying to assess her ki. Casey let him, though, he wasn't in any shape to argue.

"She was being bullied … by some males a few years older than her. I don't think she's seriously hurt though. I stepped in and stopped it" the green eyed male hacked up a little more blood while he spoke, and Trunks knew they didn't have an incredibly long amount of time to sit around debating this.

"Well, unless any of you _other_ elites would care to speak up, I'm going to have to take this male's version of events..." Trunks announced. It was clear that these bastards had decided to beat him up simply for being a half breed that out-fought a few full blooded whelps. It went against everything Gohan had ever been taught, that he should be punished for being strong. That kind of retaliation wasn't allowed in personal disputes.

When a pack member was attacked unfairly, you were well within your rights, even required, to intervene. Same with bond mates. Even if the brats who had 'bullied' her were related to these elder males, Casey having bested them should have ended it. It further riled Gohan to know that this male's father was an elite just like the rest of his attackers. It wasn't even low-class bickering that just got out of control.

These were just cubs.

The group of males around them was still silent. Gohan didn't hold out hope that any of them might feel shame for what they'd done some day.

"Very well then, you're all going to the palace immediately for sentencing" Trunks gave a vengeful smirk, knowing justice dispensed by his father would mean infinitely more to them. "Too bad for you he's in a foul mood today..." he added, knowing it would be harsher as well.

It was one thing to be silent, but outright defying the order of a super saiyan was unthinkable, let alone impossible. Even if they didn't respect Trunks' breeding, they had to bow to his power. Forming a line, they did have the audacity to hold their heads high though.

It was then that Gohan noticed the streets were no longer empty. He was shocked to see that a few of the faces around them were openly in commiseration with these arrogant males. Nowhere near the majority, but still, it was a sobering observation.

"See that this one gets to the tanks" Gohan said to the keeper of the shop they'd been in earlier, motioning toward Casey. The walkways were lined with saiyans who had come back out to watch once the prince got involved. What must have been the shopkeeper's breed mate, made a scoffing sound at his request. The whelp on her hip was trying to climb up on top of her head as she stared challengingly. Gohan paused and raised an eyebrow.

"They won't take him" she finally said, her eyes flitting from Gohan back to the prince, "Something should be done about that too..."

Her posture, the low tone in her voice, her breed mate's reaction...they all told Gohan just how much she risked by having said that aloud. It made him feel physically ill.

"We'll take care of it then" he said quietly, dismissing them after all with a nod. Going back over to Trunks, he pulled gently on the prince's elbow, and whispered into his ear.

"One of us has to take the brat, but I don't want to get separated..." Too many things were happening too quickly to change Gohan's perspective on reality right now. Trunks hadn't heard the conversation with the shopkeeper, but he trusted Gohan's judgment completely. He didn't bother to keep his voice down when he responded.

"Oh? Perhaps we should just slaughter them all right here then" he said pensively, gesturing toward the line up of criminals. Gohan smiled and played his part, but knew that wasn't really an option.

"Now, now, how would you explain that to the King?" he said for the audience's benefit.

"You don't think he'd believe I just had a fit of rage?" Trunks had real playfulness in his eyes now, "He does it all the time."

"You can't just go around killing everyone if things are inconvenient, even your father doesn't do that" Gohan pointed out as he knelt next to Casey and Bran again. Suddenly Trunks' power spiked, and in the blink of an eye, the entire line of attackers was spilled over, laying limp on the ground. Gohan put the bloodied half breed's arm over his shoulder, but then changed his mind when he saw the pain it produced.

Carrying him in his arms instead seemed like it would be less stressful to his system. Gohan pulled gently on the little female's tail with his own, a silent gesture for her to climb on his back. He was afraid that her weight on her brother's chest while he was carried would only do more harm.

"Was that really necessary?" Gohan raised an eyebrow at Trunks, seeing what he'd done.

"What? I only knocked them out, they're fine" Trunks turned from the line of prone warriors and dropped out of super saiyan, "It's my father they'll have to worry about when they wake up."

A few bystanders who were known to be trustworthy were picked out to transport the criminals. Gohan and Trunks took to the skies toward the common use tanks right away. They flew in silence. The city's healing tanks were maintained and paid for by the palace. For someone to have decided the half breeds would be denied the use of them, spoke of more than just discrimination. It was outright lawbreaking.

The staff were beyond shocked to see the prince and his bodyguard arrive with such a load. Of course Casey was given a tank immediately. Miraculously he was still conscious, and Trunks promised him they would wait with Bran. Eventually one of their parents would come to look for them, likely long before Casey was done healing all that damage. Gohan hoped it was their father, for their sakes.

With the streets having apparently degraded to _this_, Gohan wasn't even sure a human should be walking down them.

~/~

When a parent did come, hours later, it wasn't Casey's father. It was Gohan's.

"What the hell do you two think you're doing?" he said sarcastically, finding them eating jerky and playing with Bran on the floor in front of the tank.

"Jerky, Kakarot?" Trunks held up a chunk of it to the frowning warrior. Gohan's father walked over and swiped it out of his hand, not ever one to turn down food.

"When unconscious elites started being dumped at the palace gates, we expected you two back shortly after that" Kakarot said, chewing forcefully.

"No one's come for her yet" Gohan said quietly, even though the few staff members around were all on the other end of the hall. With a roll of his eyes, Kakarot turned and bellowed to the nameless functionaries across the way.

"You! Go find Kra, son of Yham and bring him here. Now!"

The male he had pointed to dropped what he was doing and scurried out the door immediately.

"You couldn't have done that four hours ago?" Kakarot smacked his son upside the head in reprimand. Gohan took it good naturedly, he knew how his father was.

"You'd be surprised" Trunks spoke evenly, his tone carrying only far enough for them to hear, "At the number of things we've discovered half breeds can't do today."

"What do you mean?" Kakarot's demeanor shifted noticeably.

"The full details of our day are something more for my father's ears, I think..." Trunks said. Not that he wouldn't tell Gohan's father, but he was indicating it should wait until they were in the palace. Trunks looked absently at Bran hiding from Kakarot in Gohan's cape, knowing she could understand what they were saying, but wasn't old enough to _understand_.

~/~

A few hours after that, they were finally able to turn the cub over to her father. Trunks wondered if he should tell him to stay and watch over his healing son too, or just let it go. In the end the prince decided it wasn't his call, and he didn't want to come off as too pretentious. Casey had definitely been healed of any internal injuries by that point anyway. A good deal of the external ones were _starting_ to close up as well. Even if 'they' drained and took him out right after the more powerful males left, he'd survive...

~/~

It made Trunks angry that his father didn't seem surprised by the violence.

It made him uneasy though, that he _was_ about the tanks.

"What do you mean the half breeds are being turned away?" Vegeta scowled, sitting up straighter and leaning forward a bit.

"The female said that they wouldn't take him, like it was common knowledge" Gohan confirmed. "She also acted like she knew she could get in a lot of trouble for telling me that..."

A quick look of concern passed between the King and Kakarot. Then it was gone. Gohan went on. "Trunks 'looked' through the main system's attendance records while we were there too. I find it hard to believe there hasn't been a single half breed who needed to visit the city's tanks in the last year."

"What are you going to do about this?" Trunks demanded to know, crossing his arms over his chest with a scowl.

"Fire Paragus" Vegeta said with clipped distaste, swirling the drink in his glass rather than look at them.

"I was thinking more like _end_ him" Kakarot said, his tail coiling around his waist as if getting ready for battle. Vegeta sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"We can't just kill everyone who opposes us, Kakarot."

Trunks and Gohan shared a look that time, only it was more of a suppressed smile.

"Why not?" Kakarot asked, his tone almost pouting, but still offering it as a serious suggestion.

"Why not?..." Vegeta set down his glass and raised his arms, sweeping them wide, "Why not just go back to living as oozaru in the wild? Hmm? Why not tear it all down! Fuck civilization!" he gestured toward the stained glass window at the end of the room. It was the only physical layer between them and the rest of the city at large below.

This was going to get them nowhere.

"Why fire Paragus? He's not in charge of the tanks..." Gohan asked, hoping to bring the King's attention back to a more sane track. Gohan assumed he was just venting when he said stuff like that, but, it was Vegeta...

"He's not, but his bond mate's brother is" Vegeta said tiredly.

"Why don't you fire his bond mate's brother then?" Gohan asked politely.

"Because he's not the root of the problem, Paragus is" Vegeta said in a snippy tone.

"But, do you have any proof he ordered it?"

"No, but everyone knows how he is" Vegeta sighed.

"You can't just do that without proof of something though" Gohan said as meekly as possible, more like a reminder.

"Why am I debating this with you?" Vegeta suddenly looked up at Gohan, as if he was just discovering the ridiculousness of this situation.

"Um... Because Bardock's not here?" Gohan offered.

Vegeta gave him a flat look. Gohan waited to see what the King was going to do. Vegeta's eyes glanced over to Trunks, and then he picked up his glass again, downing the rest of the liquid.

"Get out, both of you" he ordered as he set it back on the table.

"Father-" Trunks began, risking a little defiance.

"Do not think so little of me" Vegeta warned, his tail swishing angrily, "I am not so stupid as to really take _actions_ based solely on heated _words_" he reprimanded them. "You will go now, and I will fix this."

They both bowed and left silently after that, glad to have their skins intact.

~/~

Later that evening, they got a surprise visit from Gohan's father. A regular guard would have knocked before entering their rooms, but not him. They assumed because of that, that it was either him or the King. Or him _and_ the King... Trunks was in the middle of changing, and Gohan brushing up on the various improvements Bulma had made to the healing tanks.

As soon as he heard the click of the doorknob turning, Trunks tossed the shirt he was discarding over the holocube. It interrupted its display, but did leave a slight blue glow emanating from the spot. Gohan flipped the corner of the cloth over with equal casualness as the door swung open. The doubled layer muted it much more thoroughly.

Trunks moved toward Gohan as if something else entirely was being walked in on, blocking view of the device just in case. Not that he needed an excuse to straddle his bodyguard's lap.

"The King wanted to make sure you knew not to repeat the assumptions he made during our little talk earlier" Kakarot said, eyeing them seriously.

"I can assure you that your son and I are the very souls of discretion" Trunks nodded slowly. Gohan sighed, mentally. He hoped his father didn't _know_ Trunks well enough to catch the subtle layer of condescension in his reply.

"Also, I changed your schedules to allow for longer sparring times, starting tomorrow" Kakarot crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke. "So make sure you get a good night's sleep, because you're going to need it" he said smugly. Both of them nodded once in acknowledgment, and submission. They let out a collective sigh of relief, and resignation, once Gohan's father was gone though.

~/~

Much later that night, orders had been issued and punishments set to be given out in the _appropriate_ manners. Now the King lay in bed, trying to fall asleep after a disturbing day. He could tell his bond mate was awake too, both of them still thinking. Kakarot drew a larger breath than normal after a few moments, and pierced the silence.

"Do you think he knows?..." he asked quietly.

"Paragus?" Vegeta clarified, moving to rest his head on his bond mate's arm.

"Yeah... If he's been denying them access to the tanks..."

Vegeta closed his eyes and let Kakarot's other arm move to curl around him.

"No, I don't think he does. Paragus is a petty, vindictive male, I doubt it was anything more than that..."


	5. Chapter 5 - Halcyon Days

At the King's insistence, Gohan discovered, Kakarot was to start giving him more actual instruction during their spars. You know, as opposed to just beatings. Gohan certainly respected the power his father had attained, but actually being _taught_ by him was wild. Raw strength was one thing... But Gohan had no idea there was so much technique to the _way_ his dad pounded him before.

"Bardock is a great teacher and all" his father took a rare opportunity to speak before their spar started one day, "But there's only so much you can learn from someone weaker than you."

Gohan was pretty sure he didn't stop his face from reacting to that in time. As a result, his eye twitched and his mouth lost some of its background joviality.

"Don't mistake me, son" Kakarot dropped his battle pose for a moment, shocking Gohan. "You can be _told_ how to hit, what angle to come at, when to apply the force... But until you've _practiced_ it, taught it to every muscle and bone and fiber, you don't _know_ it. It's different at this level. The King and I couldn't have gotten where we are today if we hadn't each had another super saiyan to fight with."

Gohan had slightly relaxed his stance too while he listened, but when his father took a step toward him, he crouched again. Kakarot smiled, giving him a nod.

"You need to stop trying to just hold your own against me, you need to start using _everything. _Everything that he taught you, and everything that I'm teaching you. You need to be used to fighting to _win_."

It didn't take long for Gohan to come to a decision. With a curt nod, he raised his power level the rest of the way, pushing at the boundary of his maximum. Kakarot's smile widened.

"Good, son. Now try and keep up."

...

It was one of the longest spars of Gohan's life. He didn't think he'd ever seen his father more proud of him though, than the first time Gohan really tried to kill him. When they finally ended, both of them were headed for the tanks this time. It was kind of comforting to Gohan, knowing that no matter what else changed, there would always be a healing tank with his name on it.

After a few weeks of this new pace, Gohan could see, and feel the difference.

"There's a second part to all this too" Kakarot informed him when Gohan commented that it was really working. They were both in between separate duties at the moment, passing in the halls.

"Oh? What's that?" Gohan asked, trying to sound more intrigued than hesitant.

"You have to take what you've learned, what you're learning, and teach it to the prince."

Gohan felt like his entire body stilled.

"But, I'm sworn to protect him, to give my life for him. I can't attack him like it's meant to kill" he argued.

"If you don't, someone else will have to. The King certainly doesn't have time for it. That leaves you or me, and Trunks is too intimidated by me for the session to have the right effect" Kakarot admonished, "He's even more scared of me than you are..." he almost muttered. Gohan took a deep breath.

"I'm not as scared as I used to be."

"And there's a reason for that, brat" his father smacked him upside the head, but it didn't hurt. "Just like there's a reason for Trunks' fear of me too. They may not be ones we understand, or even know about sometimes, but nothing ever happens in this palace without a reason."

Gohan rubbed the back of his head and let his tail hang in submission.

"Teach him." Kakarot pointed a finger at him, making it an order. He turned to head out of the room after that. "Maybe he'll trade you a _math_ book or something equally as ridiculous in return" he said over his shoulder as he left.

Gohan blushed.

"Yes, sir" was all he had to say to that.

~/~

Trunks was a little skeptical of the new 'rules' Gohan suddenly initiated for their spars. Once he understood though, that it was either fight him like this, or Kakarot, the prince was willing to go along.

"So this why you've been getting stronger lately" Trunks said as he lay exhausted on the training room floor. "Fuck, I think you broke a rib" he added, after trying to stand.

"Yeah...and probably more than one" Gohan answered and admitted, knowing exactly how hard he'd hit Trunks. He received a dirty look for his honesty.

"Hey, I didn't actually try to kill you today, but don't tell anyone that..." Gohan didn't offer him a hand up, knowing any external forces would just hurt the ribs worse. Trunks stopped Gohan from starting to leave the room though, once they were both up.

"You don't think it's strange?... The timing I mean... Suddenly they want us to be as strong as possible?" Trunks asked, making it obvious he already had his own theories. Gohan didn't mention that _he_ had _always_ been pushed to be the strongest possible...

"It's not strange,...we are half breeds, after all..." Gohan replied softly.

"They think this trouble is only going to get worse, don't they?" Trunks asked. Gohan nodded.

"Good, because it already is..." Trunks muttered, his tail swishing angrily.

"What do you mean? What have you heard?" Gohan wanted to know.

"The shopkeeper... They say he murdered his breed mate, then blew up the building with himself inside it, in a fit of rage... You know, domestic dispute" Trunks shook his head, not believing a word of it. Gohan didn't either.

"He looked upset that she told me, but he didn't seem _that _upset..." Gohan recalled.

"I guess we'll never know the truth for sure, their cubs were with the female's bond mate when it happened... It's just too suspicious to possibly be a coincidence though" Trunks sighed. Gohan took his hand and pulled on it gently.

"If you're going to think about it endlessly, at least do it in the tanks" he said, "It wasn't our...it wasn't _your_ fault."

"I know... It's just such a mess, and I don't know what we can do about it" Trunks confessed.

"Not much right now..." Gohan admitted, "Though, our fathers seem to think hitting each other will help."

Trunks gave him a small smile for that, and let him lead the way.

~/~

There were some places on vegeta-sei that you had to be of a high enough class to get into. There were others though, that ran on the opposite system. Not that an elite would normally consider entering a common shit hole. It was times like these that Bardock was extra glad he hadn't let the King elevate his class or rank all those years ago.

In a dank, mildew smelling corner, Bardock found the most useful information on the "Purists" that he had to date. Listening to drunken low-class grunt's adventures often revealed interesting tidbits. Like the fact that the resistance to the program was organized enough to have taken on an actual name... Disturbing, to say the least.

His current target was a slobbering fellow too deep in his cups to even recognize Bardock. It was easy to sound sympathetic when the male was in that kind of state. The moron slid him a folded up piece of paper with a sloppy wink. Bardock gave an appreciative nod, but knew better than to open such a thing here.

After the other third class finally passed out, Bardock quickly tipped back the rest of his drink. No saiyan in their right mind would leave without finishing any food or drink in front of them. He let the mug slam back down on the table without any care after it was empty. Pretending to debate for a moment, he took the mug from the passed out male's hand and drank that too. He certainly wouldn't be needing it anymore.

He gave the bartender a wink and a good tip, and the indiscretion was overlooked.

Once he was out in the clean air, Bardock shuffled along down random streets for a while before heading back. It wouldn't do to arouse suspicion that he was any more than some bumbling drunk himself. Only hours later did he finally make it home.

Toma was already asleep, but he had expected that.

It was worth it though. Going for flights into the city on his own time were always much more productive than trying to gather info while at the palace. Lighting a small lamp, he sat down to read the seditious material he'd been handed more thoroughly. The horrible consequences of mixing with the humans were outlined in exaggerated detail beneath it's fold. Bardock snorted as he read it.

The thought that a human breed mate would try to 'lure' a male into being more passive was laughable. Obviously none of them had ever tried to tell Bulma she couldn't have or do something she wanted. With that temper, the King was actually pretty lucky she _wasn't_ saiyan...

He kept reading, able to counter each point relatively well because of his first hand knowledge of humans and half breeds. To someone who'd had no personal interaction with them though... Well, this could probably be fairly swaying.

Watering down the race. It sounded absurd, but he knew where they'd gotten the idea. Bardock had been the one who raised the half breed most of these early assumptions had been based on. Gohan most definitely _did have_ the battle lust... It was just a little harder to awaken in him than would be considered normal... Even so, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

The restraint Gohan was able to exert put him far ahead of the game. Other saiyans with no self control were bested by him without Gohan even having to overpower them. It was hard to make an entire population see that though. They didn't know the brat personally, like he did.

Prince Trunks had been mostly sheltered from the public's examination, but the others who followed tended to be like Gohan. Strong. Strong as fuck, but calm. Would it be such a bad thing? If a little more levelheadedness got mixed in with their race? Bardock didn't think so.

As to the last major point on the list... He tossed the paper aside and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes with a sigh. Saiyans were a long, long way off from becoming some sappy, love everybody and everyone society. To think that saiyans didn't _know_ how to love though, couldn't feel it, was a delusion. The young just liked to pretend so as they bashed each other's skulls in.

It wasn't until warriors got into the realm of being 'past their prime' that it was considered acceptable to admit. Just thinking the words made Bardock cringe. Not the love part, but the being past his prime part... At least he wasn't losing power levels yet.

"Late night?" Toma asked as he entered the room. Bardock opened his eyes to find his bond mate standing above him. Toma leaned down from behind the chair and kissed him. Before their tails could wrap together though, he broke away from the kiss and spat.

"The fuck have you been drinking?" he asked, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. Bardock leaned forward so Toma couldn't see him smile.

"Piss in a rundown shack with lowlifes" he said casually, knowing Toma was very particular about alcohol. He may be a horrible cook, but the male made sure only 'worthwhile' liquors were put down their gullets.

"Shit, you could have warned me" Toma said with a grimace, then disappeared around the corner. While he was gone, Bardock retrieved the tossed paper and slowly folded it back up. Toma came in with a bottle and two shot glasses shortly after that, setting them down on a small table between them.

"Here, this will wash down that awful crap" he insisted as shots were filled. Bardock didn't like the arrangement, and moved to sit next to him on the couch instead. They both took a shot, and then Bardock grunted and nodded for him to fill another. The burn of this much more refined drink was exactly what he needed to sort him out.

"You still take pretty good care of me," Bardock commented as he raised the second helping of fire to his lips, "For an old timer..."

"_Old timer?_" Toma said with indignation. He turned to look at Bardock, who was grinning as he swallowed, and Toma just shook his head.

"You know, if you wanted to get mad and have some nice rough sex, you could have just hit me, without bringing _our age_ into it" he said gruffly, tipping back a second shot himself. He wasn't really upset though.

"I never thought I'd live to be this old..." Bardock commented more sedately, turning the shot glass round and round in his fingers. Toma nodded, setting down his own as well. He knew what Bardock had been doing, the position he was in, and how it weighed on him.

"See, that's the problem with drinking that piss water, it makes you all sentimental" Toma said with a sigh. He reached up and ran a hand into Bardock's thick spikes, brushing a thumb over the red cloth tied there.

Bardock savored the rare gesture for just a moment, then looked over to his bond mate with a smile, and a heat growing in his eyes.

"As opposed to this stuff, which just makes you horny" he replied, shoving Toma's knee with his own. That earned him a smile. Toma shoved his knee back, both of them watching the other like large cats ready to pounce. Bardock jumped first, not bothering to set his glass down properly as he tackled his bond mate.

They broke the small table in their scuffling, but the cap was already on the bottle when it fell. Saiyans didn't pause in such a heated ritual for something so small as broken furniture. They'd broken quite a few tables, and chairs, and a bed or two even, over the years.

There was a rush to the good natured struggling that made Bardock's pupils dilate slightly. Toma grunted when his bond mate finally completed the pin he'd been working toward. Their limbs strained against each other's, hands grasping for purchase over firmly muscled skin.

Bardock normally won these kinds of things, but he wasn't _that_ much stronger than his 'opponent'. Toma was known to pull an upset every once in a while, so he stayed sharp.

"You know, if I ever learn any new moves, you're going to be in serious trouble" Toma growled playfully, one of his legs suddenly breaking free and throwing off Bardock's balance. They rolled the rest of the way to the floor, off the growing pile of debris. After they hit, Toma found himself being kissed hard while their crotches ground together.

"If you don't give up soon, we're going to end up getting off just from this" Bardock informed him with an extremely turned on huffing noise.

"But it'll be worth more to you if you earn it yourself" Toma chuckled and leveraged his hips up further, rubbing even more pronouncedly.

Sensing his bond mate's ploy, Bardock quickly powered up and overstepped the level they normally kept to. He flipped a surprised Toma over, bending one of his arms behind his back to hold him. Bardock's tail waved with pleasure as he ripped the larger male's clothing off with one hand.

"Mmm, I really love it when you don't fuck around" Toma muttered with his face pressed against the floor. Bardock leaned down, keeping the arm bent between them, and bit his bond mate roughly. The body beneath him gave up squirming and relaxed against him. Seizing the opportunity to dominate, Bardock bared himself and pressed into Toma with one fluid motion.

The male he'd spent nearly all his life beside grunted and groaned underneath him. Wasting no time, Bardock pumped quickly into his heat, not giving Toma a chance to catch up with the sensations.

"Ah, fuck..." the pinned male did his best to press back against the thrusts, but there was only so much he could do. They both knew exactly what got the other off hardest though, and Bardock reached between Toma's legs with his free hand. He massaged at his balls while pounding his ass ruthlessly, letting the male's cock bounce freely with the motions.

"...Fucking hell" Toma groaned loudly as he came in dribbling spurts against his stomach. Bardock growled in response, taking his fill of the muscular ass at his disposal, until he came as well too.

Laying on top of his bond mate, Bardock enjoyed the smell of their sex afterward, lingering inside him.

"So, ready for another round of shots?" Toma asked contently, his tail wrapped around Bardock's thigh.

"Hmph, I'm ready for bed, after this" he answered gruffly.

"You're starting to get old" Toma teased, ending his response with another grunt.

"Are you trying to start round two?" Bardock nudged him. Toma's tail loosened to flick over Bardock's skin,

"I don't know, you tell me..."

~/~

Gohan was having a really hard time keeping his eyes to himself. Tomorrow was Trunks' sixteenth birthday, and an occasion both of them were looking forward to greatly. The difference that one little year had made in Trunks was astounding. Gohan seemed to be looking at him in a fresh light today.

The prince would likely always be shorter than him, but he'd put on a good couple inches over the last year. He had a adult male's shoulders now too; wider, more defined... He'd always had a nice, firm ass, but Gohan hadn't really felt free to examine it _openly_ until now.

Just knowing he'd have that lithe, exotic body pinned beneath him soon... It made Gohan's tail flick and sway in time with his predatory thoughts. If Trunks _hadn't_ felt the weight of Gohan's gaze on him, it would have been a miracle. The older male was sure Trunks was aware of it though. The prince knew exactly what was going on. Hell, Trunks had a lot more sway in his step than normal today, as if teasing Gohan on purpose.

That afternoon, one of the other guards had the audacity to look at Trunks' taunting backside as he walked by with Gohan in tow. Gohan didn't remember slamming the male up against the wall. From his point of view, he just suddenly had the guard's collar in his hands, their faces only inches apart. He didn't look nearly sorry enough for his offense, and Gohan gave him a low growl, tightening his hold. The guard began to sputter as his air was cut off, but he was nothing against Gohan's strength.

"Oh, for fuck's sake..."

Gohan heard a muttered curse behind him, right before a super saiyan grip took a hold of his shoulder. He was pried off the guard none too gently, and found himself face to face with with the King.

"Get a fucking grip, brat" Vegeta snarled at him, "If it's that bad, just go fuck already. I'm tired of watching you stalk my son through the halls like a bitch in heat."

Gohan wasn't sure if he paled or blushed when the King chewed him out. As the monarch spun on his heel to continue on his way though, Gohan could feel the blush creeping up his face. Even the tips of his ears burned hot, but he wasn't focused on it. He... He had the King's approval. He'd spoken it, aloud, in front of everyone. Well, everyone being a handful of his guards, attendants, and Trunks himself. Close enough.

Trunks had a fair amount of color in his cheeks when Gohan finally caught his gaze.

"In case you've forgotten, I do have a study session with my mother right now. I'd suggest you try and follow that 'getting a grip' portion of my dad's advice..." Trunks said evenly.

"I... I'm sorry" Gohan replied, sighing and rubbing his face. Trunks nodded.

"I'll be there in a minute" Gohan tried to look repentant, but it was difficult. The prince turned to continue onward, leaving him to collect his thoughts. The glinting of light off the little globes of Trunks' earrings, the fall of his hair, even the flair of his cape, each seemed to try mesmerizing Gohan all over again.

"Shit, I don't know how you lasted this long" one of the guards, though not the offending one, said to him once Trunks was gone.

"Neither do I" Gohan sighed in resignation, "Neither do I."

It was a near thing, but Gohan managed to reign himself in for the rest of the day. Trunks kept giving him stray looks out of the corners of his eyes, but didn't say anything. When they got back to their rooms that evening, the lavender haired prince finally decided to speak.

"You've really gotten yourself worked up, haven't you?" he preened, smirking as he looked Gohan up and down. "I didn't think I'd be getting this much of a reaction from you over tomorrow's _activities_." Trunks' tail swished in a very pleased with himself manner as he pulled off his armor. Gohan removed his own while he listened, watching Trunks' every move intently.

Instead of letting him change into his sleeping clothes, Gohan came up behind Trunks and pressed him against the dresser. A possessive groan, almost a growl, rose up out of Gohan's throat. Trunks' tail wrapped around Gohan's waist in approval, and that was all he needed. Probably as a bit of a surprise to the younger male, Gohan picked him up and slung Trunks over his shoulder. He recovered quickly though.

"But Gohan, I'm still only _fifteen_..." Trunks purred, slightly laughing as he was carried, but still entirely on board with this taking place early.

"You'll be sixteen in a few hours, it'll be alright" Gohan said while he lowered him to the bed with a surprising gentleness. As he released Trunks, he crawled over the bed, pushing the prince down to the mattress with a kiss. Their tails curled and rubbed over each other's naked skin while tongues explored mouths. Gohan settled himself in between Trunks' legs and began nipping down the side of his throat.

"Mmm, so...how are we going to do this?" Trunks moaned quietly, his body rubbing gently against Gohan's.

"We can start the same as always, if you want" Gohan offered huskily, his hand sliding down between them. His fingers sought knowingly for Trunks' opening, teasing at it gently with what he considered a great deal of self restraint.

"You just assume you're going to be the one on top, hm?" Trunks said cryptically, almost chuckling at him. Gohan couldn't tell if he was teasing or being serious. He dropped his hips down forcefully, pinning Trunks' legs open and spread. The prince's eyes widened slightly as Gohan looked him over with a fierce countenance.

"If you want to be first, you'll have to fight me for it" Gohan let out the rest of the growl he'd been holding back all day, "And that's not a fight you're going to win..."

Trunks blushed profusely, pushing back against Gohan's hold for just a brief moment, testing. Gohan kept their gazes locked together and purposefully ground his hardened length against Trunks. A small whimper of delight escaped the prince, and Gohan smirked, knowing he'd already won.

"You can have a turn in the morning" his deep voice offered as he bent down to claim Trunks' neck again. A louder whimper answered him, almost a moan, and it had a decidedly pleased lilt to it. Gohan felt Trunks' tail wrap around his, stroking and rubbing. It was driving him literally crazy with desire. Something deep and instinctual was taking over, and Gohan fell further and further with every caress.

He bit down with increasing force, marking the flesh of Trunks' neck from ear to shoulder in languid, sucking motions. Trunks' back arched beneath him, and Gohan used the opportunity to flip him over on his stomach. Now that he had him beneath him as a mate should be, Gohan pressed his weight down on him, pinning him to the sheets.

Trunks squirmed, and Gohan grabbed his tail by its base. His firm grip moved in a smooth motion all the way down to Trunks' tip. The lavender haired male went nearly limp beneath him, his legs seeming to naturally spread as they fell. Gohan used the strength of his own body to slightly reposition Trunks'. The skin of their torsos pressed impossibly close the entire time. Sliding his hips down, the older male wedged his thighs against the other's to widen their angle.

Gohan went back to teasing Trunks' opening, pulling little exclamations out of him with each hastily drawn breath. As he bit his ownership into the back of Trunks' neck, Gohan knew he'd need to be slicker than this for the penetration to work... He growled in frustration, but wasn't so lost as to risk seriously hurting his bond mate.

"Don't. Move." he ordered into Trunks' ear, stilling his own motions until he saw that the prince was going to comply. Trunks nodded, and a whine of anticipation escaped him as Gohan lifted his weight away.

Trunks had to admit he was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sudden display of dominance, but it didn't feel bad. He wasn't scared, though the thrill of excitement felt incredibly close to it. When Gohan returned back over him, it was immediately with a lubed finger sliding up his ass. Trunks had a lot of this play over the last year, but not with this intent. He panted heated breaths against the sheets, Gohan's weight both trapping and anchoring him.

Though the entire line of their bodies was touching, Trunks' awareness narrowed down. Another finger was pressing its way in where only one had ever been before. The slow burn was bearable, but not something he was accustomed to. Trunks' tail scrambled for purchase around Gohan, since he couldn't move anything else effectively.

Gohan's breath was a string of rumbled groans in his ear, and his fingers explored Trunks' ass shamelessly. Trunks felt him begin rubbing specifically over his pleasure point, again and again. It made his hips rock with just as little shame, encouraging more. Trunks could hardly believe how badly he wanted this.

Three fingers brought the return of the burning. With Gohan still hitting that spot though, Trunks wasn't sure what was more intense, the pain, or the pleasure. He was completely at Gohan's mercy, pinned beneath his larger body and spread open for him. Then a firm palm gripped his tail again, and Trunks shivered, only to melt as Gohan stroked it again. His hips lost their rocking rhythm as it was done, and Gohan adjusted them a little while they were relaxed.

The older male didn't give his bond mate time to tense up again. He sank his length into Trunks' pliant flesh with one swift motion. He let the entirety of his weight rest on him, even though Trunks cried out in shock. Gohan's tail rubbed and curled around the smaller male's, reassuring him. He stayed pressed into Trunks firmly while resuming the loving bites to his neck and back. Somehow Gohan knew his mate would need a lot of biting and kissing right now.

Eventually Trunks' whimpers died down, and small moans began to replace them. Gohan gently tipped his head backwards and to the side, revealing glossy blue eyes and flushed cheeks. Kissing Trunks passionately, with already swollen lips, Gohan received a purr from his prone lover. Now he knew it was time to move forward. He gently shifted his weight. Then his hands directed Trunks' hips to an upward tilt while still inside him.

Burying his nose in the back of Trunks' hair, he braced himself. Slowly drawing out, he savored each of these moments. Trunks cried out again as Gohan penetrated him with the same strength the second time. There was less pain in his voice though, and more disbelief. Gohan liked that sound. Making sure his stance was good, Gohan started slow, but made sure to go as deeply as he could with each stroke.

Trunks groaned continually below him, and Gohan murmured in his ear. Telling Trunks how beautiful, and sexy, and perfect he was, were far from 'sweet nothings'. Gohan meant every word of it. He took hold over Trunks' hands where they strained against the sheets. Gripping tightly, he used the extra leverage to increase the pace of his thrusts.

Disbelief was no longer an issue. Trunks was completely lost in the pleasure, every noise urging Gohan on. His body was in total submission as Gohan took him, hips canted up, tail quivering, and welcoming of the invasion to his most intimate areas. Trunks was surrounded and filled by Gohan, his stomach sloshing with an almost electric heat. The tingling spread low through him, and his own erection began to leak generously against the bed.

A slapping sound was produced by their bodies as Gohan moved with even more speed. It was the most vulgar thing Trunks had ever heard. His own moans sounded completely wanton to his ears, and he could hardly imagine how they sounded to Gohan. The grunts and possessive growls coming from above him just made Trunks' stomach twist in excitement further.

The fact that he couldn't writhe like normal made his arousal compound even more quickly. Plus, with every stroke, this position naturally had Gohan producing wave after wave of pleasure inside him.

Trunks was already a hair's breadth from the edge when he suddenly felt teeth pierce his neck. His body jolted and tensed. It was as if the release of that small amount of blood triggered the 'ok' for other fluids to come pouring out of him as well. His orgasm seemed to reach right into the very center of him and threaten to tear him apart with its force. Trunks' tail thrashed chaotically until finally finding Gohan's upper leg and wrapping around it. He rode out the rest of it with blurring vision and gasping breath.

The sheets were slick with a puddle of Trunks' warm cum as Gohan continued to drive the prince into them. Still being pumped into after he had already cum was almost more than Trunks could handle. He didn't have any more control over it now than he had a moment ago though. He tightened and loosed his tail's hold on Gohan's leg in alternating fashion. It seemed like the right way to let him know it was becoming too much...he hoped.

Gohan knew Trunks had cum already, but he just...he needed a little more. He growled almost in warning, as if letting the prince know not to deny him this. It turned out all he needed was that one little 'too much' whimper from Trunks, in order to spill himself harder than he ever had before. Gohan's tail wrapped around his bond mate's as he filled the deepest parts of him. For a few delicious seconds, there was nothing but pure pleasure, and the knowledge that Trunks was his.

Everything in Gohan told him to stay like this for a long as possible, so he didn't draw out of his spent lover. Instead he pulled Trunks with him onto their sides and wrapped his arms around him. Gohan let himself soften gradually inside Trunks' warm slickness while they lay there. He would have stayed like that forever if he could have.

Eventually Gohan had to move though, because Trunks shivered as the cool air caught up with his heated skin. After pulling the blanket up, he moved to face his lover. Exhaustion was already tugging at the smaller male's eyes. With a smile, Gohan gently kissed him to sleep, their tails wrapping together once again.


	6. Chapter 6 - Gradualism

The next morning, Gohan's tail woke up before he did. The movement of Trunks shifting closer to him sharpened his awareness just enough for him to realize it. He found the prince wasn't truly awake yet either though. The end of Gohan's tail had been hooking around Trunks' and drawing it over to him. Subconsciously, the prince responded to the gentle pulling and stroking motions by snuggling at Gohan's side.

Putting his arm over him, Gohan closed his eyes again and committed everything about this moment to his permanent memory. Trunks' warm weight at his side, the prince's soft breathing, the silky smoothness of his tail as it lay entwined with Gohan's over their legs now...it all seemed so important. Each aspect was a crucial piece of the contentment he currently felt. They were all reminders of how Trunks was his now.

Soft lips pressing against his chest in a kiss pulled Gohan from his thoughts. He stroked his thumb over the ridge of Trunks' hip in return. Even though Gohan's eyes were closed, Trunks would know he was indeed awake. The lips moved up his neck next, and Gohan tilted his chin up to accommodate them.

"Still tired?" Trunks asked him, nose nuzzling against Gohan's hairline.

"No, just savoring..." Gohan smiled. Trunks ran his hand over the sculpted muscles of his bodyguard's chest, his thumb brushing over a nipple.

"Good, because I distinctly remember you saying that the morning was my turn" Trunks grinned.

"Did I say that?" Gohan replied playfully, earning himself a bite on the neck. His eyes finally opened, just in time to see Trunks' tail moving to slide between his legs. The soft attention had Gohan growing erect quickly. He did everything he could to encourage it, groaning heartily right in Trunks' ear. He wanted Trunks to take him, he had no objections to it. Gohan had just demanded his right the previous night, as the elder and stronger male, to have Trunks first.

The gentle way Trunks moved over him, caressed him, made Gohan realize his young lover was nowhere near as driven by instinct as Gohan had been. He didn't have time to question the methods he had used before though. Trunks' practiced grip moved up and down over Gohan's firmness, hardening him the rest of the way quite efficiently. A warm mouth and tongue teased over the ripples of Gohan's abdomen. Continuing their southward quest, they moved in a biting line that ran down from his navel.

Gohan wasn't sure when Trunks had found time to slick up his other hand, but he _was_ a bit focused on other things. A probing digit pressed back and forth at his entrance, and Gohan gave a small moan when it finally breached him.

"Do you want me to turn over?" he asked, his tail flicking over the sheets in anticipation.

"No" Trunks kissed the inside of Gohan's thigh, and turned lavender lashes up at him, "I want you just like this." Trunks then began to kiss over each inch of Gohan's hips and thighs, along with everything in between. It was quite a surprise to Gohan, to be given such attention, and it made his breath quicken.

Eventually Trunks began to work in a second finger, and he lifted his gaze to Gohan's face again while he did it. He rubbed over tense legs soothingly as the older male's mouth opened, but no words came out. A small gasp followed, and Trunks smirked as Gohan received a taste of his own medicine. It was easy to keep that spot inside him stimulated, since Trunks already knew it with such great detail.

He just... He wanted to just eat Gohan up, soak him in until he'd be a part of him forever...

Not trusting himself to do any sucking while his mind was in this state, Trunks settled for marking Gohan's inner thighs. When the whimpering and moaning became too much, Trunks added a third finger and moved up to Gohan's abs again. He made sure to bite him high enough that it would show above the waistline of his pants.

A good saiyan always marked his property in more than one spot.

"Fuck, Trunks" Gohan looked completely lost as he watched. It was a shame Trunks couldn't tease and taste him forever. His own arousal was demanding he do more though, regardless of Gohan's state. Removing his fingers, Trunks pumped a new palm full of slickness over himself as he positioned his knees. Gohan was good and spread his legs nicely for him.

Trunks' eyes glazed over with desire as he began to enter Gohan for the first time. He only got about halfway, before the shock on Gohan's face turned into a hand on Trunks' hip. The prince batted it away though, giving Gohan a firm, possessive look as he pushed in the rest of the way. Gohan's lips rose up toward Trunks', as if taking the kiss was both in retaliation and apology.

A small mewling noise escaped out of the corner of Gohan's mouth as it pressed against Trunks'. The prince accepted it graciously, staying in position. As they kissed, he remembered how comforted he had been by the motion of Gohan's tail before. The prince began to rub Gohan's thrashing appendage lovingly with his own, biting his lips gently at the same time.

Finally breaking the kiss, Trunks looked into Gohan's eyes. The love and trust he found there made him want to claim Gohan so badly, he could barely wait. Diving down to his neck, Trunks bit him hard, drawing a low groan from his lover's throat. After a few more minutes, Gohan wrapped his arms around Trunks and held him tight.

Gohan couldn't quite seem to speak, so he just kissed Trunks' cheek and nodded against it.

That silent permission made Trunks' blood surge with excitement. He slowly rocked his hips against Gohan's, not pulling or pushing yet. When a breathless gasp left his bodyguard, his eyes threatening to close, Trunks knew he was on the right track.

That first full stroke was agony for him, trying to go slowly and not bring back any unnecessary pain for his bond mate. Trunks looked up and found Gohan's mouth open, and his face screwed up.

"Is it too much?" Trunks asked tenderly, not knowing how to interpret what he was seeing.

"No, it's ok, I'm ok" Gohan panted. Kissing one more time, Trunks began to purr when he felt Gohan's legs wrap around him. Focusing on a smooth, even rhythm, the prince finally began to move with determination after that. Gohan cried out with each thrust, and they were cries Trunks was happy to hear, cries of pleasure.

Trunks was very aware that when it came down to it, Gohan was _letting_ him take him. He wanted to show his appreciation for it by giving him as much pleasure as possible. Swatting away the hand on his hip earlier was probably the most 'force' he was going to get away with exerting over Gohan... It was alright though, Trunks just wanted to be close to him. Getting to be inside him on top of it all was exhilarating.

Trunks reached down and grasped Gohan's length. His lover wasn't getting the friction against the sheets that he should be, since they were in this position. Trunks could feel the point of each individual finger pressing into his back as Gohan's grip tightened. A smirk played over Trunks' lips, and he nipped at Gohan's neck. He could tell the older male was definitely enjoying this.

"Trunks, Trunks... Trunks..." Gohan let the prince's name fall from his lips over and over as he was brought to the edge. He could feel the pleasure reaching a critical intensity, and knew he wasn't going to last much longer.

Trunks didn't expect it to be so satisfying to feel the creamy fluid of Gohan's release flowing over his fingers. He felt Gohan's insides squeeze around him unmercifully, and his teeth just sort of sank into Gohan's neck in response. Trunks came himself with a resonating groan while Gohan arched beneath him. Glorious, was the only word Trunks could think of to describe it.

He understood the 'riding' terminology now too. As Gohan's larger frame bowed, it was a bit of a challenge for Trunks to stay atop him, while he came as well. He ended up having to release Gohan's neck, but somehow managed to hold on.

There was a good deal of panting and tail stroking after they were done this time, since neither was tired or falling asleep.

"I think I'm going to resign" Trunks said with his eyes closed.

"Resign?..." Gohan gave a small disbelieving noise.

"Yeah, that way we can go live in a cave in the wilds and just have sex all day" Trunks purred, his tail languidly rubbing over naked skin.

Gohan chuckled.

"Your mother would never let you."

~/~

"You've lived two hundred moons already, brat, it's time for you to pick out who you'll have as attendants when you come of age" the King said out of nowhere one day when Trunks and Gohan walked in for breakfast.

"Already?" Trunks grimaced. Gohan took the declaration in stride.

"Bardock and I already went over a list of acceptable candidates. Review it and choose three by the end of the week" the King ordered, not stopping in his meal. There was a folder of papers sitting next to Trunks' plate.

"Three? Don't you think that's a bit much?" Trunks asked with distaste.

"Bardock suggested five" the King pointed out casually.

"I see... So I have you to thank for the suggestion of three then?" the prince asked as he and Gohan took their seats.

"My suggestion was to do away with the appointments entirely, but he didn't listen to it when I came of age either" Vegeta grumbled. With a grunt the King wiped his face and then threw down his napkin. "You two are late again. Maybe after this you'll find the restraint to keep your hands off each other for more than a few minutes at a time" he added bluntly, eyeing them.

Gohan was unfazed by the accusation, simply turning and giving Trunks an 'I told you so' look. The prince kicked him under the table.

"I didn't know we were being _timed_, father" Trunks said coolly. Vegeta snorted, shaking his head as he stood.

"Give a care to who you choose. If you can't justify it, they may be vetoed" he informed them.

Gohan got the feeling it wasn't the King who would be doing the final approving of Trunks' selections.

~/~

There were over fifty dossiers in the packet for Trunks to look through.

"Ugh, this is ridiculous. There's too many to choose from" Trunks whined, because he could, because he and Gohan were alone looking at the file.

"Just imagine the work they already went to weeding these down" Gohan pointed out. Neither of them were looking forward to the loss of privacy that Trunks having attendants would bring. It wasn't as if he couldn't wake up on his own, dress himself, etc... Doling out the favor of the royal presence was something Trunks was going to have to get used to though, starting with this.

"Hnnn...you pick" Trunks made an indistinguishable sound from where his face was buried against Gohan's side. Picking up the stack, Gohan fanned the edge of them with his thumb. He decided they needed to finally address the key issue here.

"Sure... But do you want half breeds, or full blooded males?"

Trunks pulled his face out of Gohan's side and sighed. He shot Gohan a look that said he wasn't exactly pleased with him pulling the 'let's be responsible now' card.

"I don't know..." Trunks looked off to the side, his gaze distant.

"Talk to me" Gohan bumped their shoulders together, wrapping up Trunks' tail with his own.

"We'd be most comfortable with just half breeds, in all likelihood..." Trunks started, leaning against Gohan's shoulder. "That would cause the most 'problems' politically though, and we all know it."

Gohan nodded, starting to sort out the candidates by breeding, where they had been alphabetical before. Trunks watched him quietly for a moment before speaking again.

"All full blooded males would be problematic too though. I don't want the half breeds to feel like _I_ don't think they're good enough" Trunks thought out loud.

"You can't please everyone, someone will always be upset, no matter how hard you try" Gohan added.

"Then there's the full on 'mind games' option" Trunks picked up the information sheet on the youngest son in the line of Tatoe, who was Paragus' bond mate. "We could choose all the sons of our biggest naysayers, just to keep an eye on them..."

"You'd be miserable though" Gohan said immediately, "And for how much gain? Their loyalties are already firmly with their parents, I'm sure. We're not going to get much, information wise, from having them around."

"Good, I'm glad we can agree to eliminate those then" Trunks sat up straight and began snatching the sheets out of the stack that would fall under that category. It was a larger culling than Gohan would of liked, about fifteen or so, but there was nothing to be done for it.

"So, our best option is a mix then, some half breeds, some full blooded... I think actually Casey is out, because of our past history" Trunks used a single finger to slide the green eyed male's sheet up away from the rest. Gohan had a feeling they'd have quite a few piles before this was done.

"I think you're right. There's favoritism, and then there's _playing favorites_..." Gohan nodded.

"We won't be with them all the time" Trunks mused, "So I think it needs to be two to one. Two half breeds and one full blooded. The full blooded male won't have to worry about feeling alone or out numbered."

"I think you're right...the way things have been going...they may need some solidarity, even here inside the palace" Gohan sighed.

"They're still safer here than in the streets though."

"True."

"And no only children either. I think they'd be too nervous, leaving their mothers unprotected, to do a good job here" Trunks tried to find a nicer spin to put on it. Since they were thinking politically and all.

"Only children, or those with too great a gap between siblings then" Gohan added.

"Yes, that's a good point" Trunks moved some more pictures away. He seemed at an impasse for easily removable half breeds after that, and turned back to the full blooded section.

"Since it's my life, I think I'd like to bestow the favor on someone who's actually been loyal" Trunks picked up three different sheets and examined them. After a moment he held them up to Gohan.

"Any preference?"

"These are all the offspring of council members."

"These are all the offspring of _loyal_ council members" Trunks corrected him.

"I've never met any of them before. Their offspring, I mean" Gohan shrugged.

"Ok, we'll go with the youngest then and hope he's still malleable" Trunks plucked out a page and handed it to Gohan for him to hold.

"That seems kind of arbitrary" he gave Trunks a look.

"It's all arbitrary, I don't _want_ any of them" Trunks said in a superior tone. Gohan blinked a few times, but, really, he didn't have anything to counter that. He began reading the page he'd just been handed with more detail instead. Trunks turned back to the rest of the candidates.

"So, who will be the lucky half breeds that get to be indoctrinated in the ways of our lovely court..."

It took several days, and in the end, Trunks' choice wasn't finalized until the morning of the deadline. As with most of the 'behind the scenes' decisions of the royal pack, the discussion took place while they ate. It was actually Bardock who brought it up first.

"So, who are your preferences?" the scarred elder said as he raised his fork to his mouth.

Trunks looked up to him, and then over at the King. Preferences?

"I thought I was allowed to choose them myself, as long as there were no outright objections..." Trunks stated.

"Right, and who would you _prefer_ we not object to?" Bardock raised an eyebrow like Trunks was making this unnecessarily complicated.

"Katsu, Aaron, and Cumin" Trunks said, leaving off the 'son of' since there hadn't been any duplicate names on the list.

"Cumin, huh? How'd you come up with him?" Bardock wanted to know, since he was the only full blood and the son of a fairly minor official.

"I threw darts at a board" Trunks said sarcastically. Bardock put his fork down and gave the King a look.

"What? Don't look at me, I had nothing to do with it" Vegeta said, tearing off a bite of toast with a scowl.

"...Um, I didn't actually throw darts at a board..." Trunks said, just to clarify. That seemed to pacify, but not necessarily comfort Bardock.

"Well, those names are pretty much along the lines I expected" Bardock sighed, rubbing his temple "Unless _his majesty_ would care to give some input?" he said with a flourishing hand, looking again in the King's direction.

"Not unless you have any darts on you."

"Fine, we'll put those in the works then. Their packs will need to know to have them ready by the time you come of age in a few months." Bardock was speaking to Trunks, but gave Gohan a look that meant he wanted to talk with him alone after this.

When Gohan was pulled aside by his sire once the meal ended, it was no surprise.

"Just out of curiosity, who picked those names? I mean, did you do it for him?" Bardock asked.

"For him? No. I helped a little, but it was definitely his decision..." Gohan informed him.

Bardock seemed pensive for a moment, but in a good way.

"I'm glad to see him actually taking an interest in his subjects at such a young age then... He'll need it" the gruff male clapped Gohan on the shoulder to put an end to their little session. Gohan had to smile to himself at the revelation. Probably all of the King's attendants had been selected with the randomness of a drinking game.

~/~

"I'm beginning to see why my father always complains so loudly about this formal stuff" Trunks said with a sigh as he pulled off his heavy, fur lined cape.

"It's only your first day" Gohan pointed out, a small smile creeping up the corners of his mouth.

"If the coming of age ceremony is anything to go by, they're all going to suck" Trunks tossed the cape over the back of a nearby chair as they changed. "Who decided saiyans should even have customs that involve holding still for three hours?"

"It's just another test, you know how it works. Everything about being 'sophisticated' in the courts is more about proving you're not an animal..." Gohan put his hands on Trunks' shoulders to still his movements. "Let them do it, or it'll be awkward later when they're questioned" he whispered into Trunks' ear from behind. Aaron had already grabbed up Trunks' cape from the chair and had moved to hang it properly. This was the first day on the job for his 'attendants'.

When he had been picking them out, Trunks had kind of thought of the brats as being 'around' the same age as himself. Aaron was thirteen, and so was Cumin, leaving Katsu as the youngest at ten. It didn't hit him until they had met in person this morning, the difference those few years really made.

All the males had fairly traditional coloring, though Aaron's eyes were a very light brown, almost the color of honey. Aside from that, you'd have never guessed from looking that he and Katsu were half breeds. Cumin seemed to be fairly at ease in their presence, so Trunks thought that was a good start. His main worry now was that they didn't turn out to be too young to take this seriously...

They were supposed to be _a_ _bit_ younger though, since the point was for them to be learning. The prince smiled to himself as he slightly raised his arms, the signal for them to undress him. He remembered his father saying when he had turned ten that he "was finally old enough to not be in the way, though not old enough to really be of much use..."

Trunks supposed that was a large part of this assignment too. Giving these cubs duties that kept them out of the way of important things... Though it meant they were under foot during a lot of his personal time...

In between the removal of the prince's formal outfit, Gohan leaned in and snuck a kiss on the back of his neck. Trunks' smile widened.

"Now, now, none of that in front of the brats" Trunks teased. Aaron caught his eye as he was putting away the garments that the others were carefully handing to him. A small blush was creeping over the young male's face. Trunks looked to the others and found both of them with the same reddened cheeks. He supposed whether full or half breed, at their ages, they wouldn't have had much experience with those sorts of things.

Gohan came around, leaned in, and kissed him on the cheek next.

"A little kissing is ok. It's not going to hurt anything" he said playfully.

"Oh? Says who?" Trunks questioned him, crossing his arms over his bare chest since he had not been re-clothed yet.

"Says me" Gohan kissed the tip of his nose quickly, but then backed away with a side stepping skip, avoiding Trunks' half-hearted swing.

"We have a meeting to get to you know, my father's waiting for us" he huffed with mock annoyance. He would normally be the one pressing Gohan to make out a little before getting dressed again... With their audience though, it made such things impossible. Trunks consoled himself with the knowledge that his new attendants wouldn't be around _all_ the time.

"We'll hurry, your highness" Katsu's little voice said seriously as they scurried to get his more 'everyday' palace clothes on him. Trunks opened his mouth a fraction, but decided it wasn't worth embarrassing them to correct. He hadn't meant the comment to make them jump, but for Gohan to keep his hands off. Oh well... He and his bodyguard would have to work on adjusting their communication a little.

When they were finally on their way to meet with the King, Gohan slipped his tail under Trunks' cape. He loosely wrapped his around the prince's for a moment.

"You did well in there" Gohan commented as they walked.

"Was that a test?" Trunks asked, letting his curling appendage unravel from Gohan's extra slowly.

"Until they get to know us, trust us on a personal level, every moment with them will be a test" Gohan confirmed.

"I know. I don't want to come off quite as...gruff...as my father though" Trunks searched for a word to describe his father's temper politely.

"You didn't. I think you were right to let them misunderstand though. They do need to have it firmly instilled that you're an authority figure first and foremost. Not just a fellow half breed pal."

"So you get to be all friendly with them, and I get to be the strict leader" Trunks didn't sigh, but Gohan knew him so well that he heard the unspoken one.

"You're the prince, Trunks. We're all just commoners in your light" Gohan said sincerely. He knew the relationship they had only existed because Trunks had allowed it to. Gohan was under no delusions. Even being born and tested as an elite, there was a gap that could never really be crossed between that and _royalty_.

Trunks stopped Gohan with a hand on his arm, thankful there wasn't anyone else in their immediate vicinity. Not because he didn't want others to hear what he had to say, but because he knew Gohan would disapprove of it being spoken in public.

"You're more than just a commoner to me" Trunks told him, his eyes flashing with the intensity of his feeling. When they were alone tonight, he would kiss him and tell Gohan he loved him over and over. It would be rather inappropriate for him to declare it here though, where any passerby could hear.

Reading between the lines, Gohan was very careful, and very soft in his reply.

"And you're more than just a prince to me..." he whispered.

Their eyes locked together in that moment. Gohan could see the exact instant Trunks' began to get glossier than they should. Gohan's widened as well, to get such a reaction.

"Trunks, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Baka, we have somewhere to be right now..." Trunks interrupted him, turning away and very delicately brushing his eyes. Gohan kept himself still, not wanting to make it any worse than it already was. He waited until Trunks looked re-composed, and gave him an inquisitive brush of the hand. He wanted to know if he was ok, but didn't trust himself to speak any further.

"I'm fine. Let's get going" Trunks said, taking a deep breath and releasing it through his nose. He gave Gohan one quick look out of the corner of his eye, but didn't say anything else about it.

"I could go fetch something..." Gohan suggested. He knew how difficult 'emotions' could be, and wanted to give Trunks a chance to be alone for a minute if he needed it.

"No. Stay" the prince commanded, his tail tightening around Gohan's again. He quickly unwound them right away though, then started off down the hall.

Gohan thought about following just a step behind him, but decided to take his place right at Trunks' side like normal.


	7. Chapter 7 - Liaisons

The meeting with the King was not as formal as the earlier ceremony. There were numerous officials and guards and such though, so appearances had to be maintained. Now that Trunks was of age, he could attend things like ribbon cuttings and ship christenings that the King didn't have time for. The prince's events for the week were summarily planned out for him, and then they were dismissed.

Trunks couldn't exactly object to any of it, none of it sounded extremely strenuous anyway. He hadn't thought that of the initial ceremony either though, and had been proven wrong there... Really, Trunks' biggest concern, now that he was of age, ran along completely different lines. Like being let in to a greater degree on what was happening with the King's efforts against the Purists.

That was a conversation that had to wait. Trunks knew better than to bring up topics as sensitive as that in front of the court functionaries. It wasn't until hours later, after they'd all been excused from dinner, that Trunks worked up the courage. He hoped that if he knocked on his father's door soon enough after the meal, that he wouldn't be interrupting anything. The most sure-fire way to piss off the King was to 'inconvenience' him.

"Gohan... I don't mean to offend you... But I think there's a better chance of him giving me an honest evaluation if I'm alone..." Trunks said before he set out. His eyes pleaded with Gohan to understand. The taller male brushed a thumb over Trunks' cheek.

"Don't even worry about it. You know it's fine, Trunks" Gohan gave him a smile.

"I'll just end up telling you everything anyway, I'm sure" the prince said with a sigh.

"It's ok, you don't have to. I trust you to tell me what I _need_ to know to keep you safe, but that's it" Gohan contradicted him. "There may be things that your father wants to stay between only the two of you, and he needs to be able to trust you with that."

"...Do you do that with Bardock?" Trunks asked, a bit of his keen intellect showing through.

"Sometimes" Gohan blushed gracefully, "But he isn't my prince. If you ordered me to, I'd obey and tell you." The simple honesty in Gohan's face gave Trunks a sense of peace. It was good, because he'd need it.

"Here, since I'm your bodyguard and all, I'll walk you over...I'm headed that way anyhow" Gohan said with a bow, extending his arm to Trunks. The prince smiled and accepted, walking with him arm in arm over to the King's rooms. Gohan left him there, and continued on down the hall. He heard Trunks knock, then the door open and close, so he knew the prince was admitted entrance.

Following the bend of the hallways, Gohan didn't stop until he was in front of the door to Bulma's lab. Spur of the moment, when Trunks had told him he was going alone, Gohan had decided to seize this opportunity. There were very few times throughout the day that he and Trunks were outside each other's company. That was kind of the point of being his guard though. For right now, if Trunks wasn't safe in the King's own chambers, he wasn't safe anywhere.

Gohan knocked firmly on the door, waiting for Bulma to allow him in. At least, he hoped she'd allow him in without Trunks here... The smooth surface slid open a moment later though, and Gohan breathed a sigh of relief. He kept moving through several more doors, until he reached the section Bulma was currently in.

She actually set down her experiment and looked over to him, cocking her head to the side in curiosity.

"What are you doing here like this?" she asked, referring to the fact that he was without the prince.

"I don't mean to be rude, but there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about alone, and I suddenly had some free time come up..."

~/~

"I was wondering if you would show up tonight" Vegeta said in a semi-amused tone. "So, what is it that you want now that you've 'come of age', brat?" the King asked, looking him up and down.

"I want to know what you're doing about the Purists" Trunks said evenly, deciding to roll with his father's supposed prior knowledge of this visit.

"Hn. Of course you do..." Vegeta scowled, but it didn't have much force behind it. "Kakarot, go to bed, I'll be there in a minute" he ordered. The King's bond mate gave a tip of his head and then headed out of the room obediently.

Apparently Trunks had been right to leave Gohan behind after all.

"We're keeping an eye on them" Vegeta said hesitantly, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. He looked as if he was still trying to gauge how much to tell Trunks to begin with.

"And by we, you mean Bardock?" Trunks asked. Vegeta nodded.

"Did _someone_ tell you that?" the King wanted to know, implying of course Gohan.

"No, he's just the only one you'd trust enough to do it" Trunks shrugged. Vegeta's gaze shifted, acknowledging, but he said nothing.

"Just how bad is it, really?" was the next thing Trunks asked. The King sighed.

"Paragus, Tatoe, and Bega certainly try their best to rile up hatred, but as of yet, it's mostly just them and their direct supporters causing trouble. Among the masses, we estimate only about a sixth of the population is sympathetic to them."

"I see..." Trunks had an uneasy feeling, knowing so many had a problem with...well, basically, with _him_.

"Don't lose too much sleep over it, brat. At any given time, a third of our race thinks it would be preferable to go back to living in the caves too" Vegeta snorted and rubbed his face. "There's been no lack of volunteers for the program all this time either. I'm not trying to dismiss the threat of Paragus' little faction, but it's not as if it's something gaining significant traction among the populace. I think he's probably already swayed everyone he's going to. Saiyans follow power, and when they see how strong the half breeds are, they gravitate toward that."

Trunks nodded, accepting his father's evaluation of the situation.

"Do you plan on letting things just continue on then? I mean, even if he doesn't have a majority, there's still unrest being caused..." Trunks asked for clarification.

"Not at all. Things settled some after the crackdown a few years ago, but we're biding our time to lull them into a false sense of security. Then when they think it's ok to start causing trouble again, we'll swoop in and annihilate them" Vegeta growled a little while he talked about it.

Trunks didn't feel very reassured, but, he supposed that wasn't the way things worked anymore. The point wasn't to reassure him, it was for him to be informed. When he left the King's chambers shortly after that, he didn't presume he'd been told the _whole_ truth though... Even if things had 'settled' as his father put it, statistics could be fudged. The truth of an incident could be covered up, played off as having different motives. Everyone knew that.

In the end, Trunks decided he wasn't going to change his view on what was happening in regard to the half breeds. They still needed a strong leader to identify with, and who would take heed of their problems. Trunks would try his best to be that for them, however he could.

~/~

"Do you really think he bought all that?" Kakarot asked after Trunks had left. Vegeta crossed his arms and gave a disbelieving grunt.

"Of course not, he's my son" the King said, as if his bodyguard was being extra dense. "I told him enough so that he could read between the lines and come to the conclusion to keep doing what he's doing."

"And what's that? I mean, what is he doing?" Kakarot asked. As far as he knew, Trunks wasn't making any active moves on this particular field.

"He's trying to be a good prince to his people..." Vegeta got up from his chair, and stopped by the window, looking out of it, "And be prepared for things to get worse."

~/~

"Even though I've learned quite a bit in my years here," Gohan started, "There's still a lot about human culture I haven't really had time to study."

Bulma quirked an eyebrow at him, motioning for him to have a seat. She was, of course, a very busy woman, but she could spare a few minutes. It seemed like it was going to be something important since Gohan had made the effort to come down here on his own.

"So, what do you want to know?" she asked, curious.

"Well," Gohan blushed, but there was no way to get around asking what he'd come here to ask.

"It's just... I love Trunks..." he managed to look up, meeting Bulma's gaze. He knew as a human she would understand about love, so he didn't feel he needed to explain that part of it.

"I want to make sure _he_ knows that though, completely. So, I was hoping you could tell me some human ways to express love, ones that he would get."

Bulma raised an eyebrow, because in her mind, it had seemed like Gohan was about to ask her for Trunks' hand in marriage or something... She wasn't expecting something so sweet and almost _innocent_ as his request.

"You just want to know how to tell him you love him? I thought you were about to tell me the two of you were getting married or something" Bulma chuckled.

Gohan looked taken aback.

"Married? Humans do that too?" Gohan was shocked. Bulma gave a spirited laugh.

"Sort of. I mean, it's not like how you guys do it. The subject happened to come up when I first settled in here. We were negotiating over how Trunks would be raised if the program worked. I remember telling Vegeta I saw no reason for us to actually marry, just because we were going to go through with having offspring. He gave me the funniest look, I swear. I guess you guys only do that when you're old and gray, right?" Bulma seemed to be getting a kick out of Gohan's current reaction too.

"Yes, if we live that long. Bond mates, or even breed mates sometimes, will marry in their old age. It's like saying publicly that you couldn't have done it, lived that long, without them" Gohan elaborated.

"Well, for humans, we usually do it when we're young. It's a future commitment kind of thing, saying you're going to spend the rest of your life working things out with that person" Bulma could almost see the wheels turning in Gohan's head.

"Does Trunks know about this though? I mean, would he view it in the human way?" Gohan's tail flicked back and forth behind him as he thought.

"I'm fairly certain he would, though, you'd have to ask him yourself to be sure" Bulma gave her son's bodyguard and bond mate a knowing wink. Perhaps she wasn't too far off from her original assumption about his request after all...

~/~

Back in his room that night, Gohan's head swirled with customs. Bulma had been happy to share details with him. Not too far into it though, he had realized that he and Trunks could never have a ceremony like she was describing. It would have to be an entirely saiyan affair, if it was going to be allowed at all. Gohan would have to do some research on the technicalities of it.

Saiyan weddings were very rare, as most didn't live to be of a respectable enough age to consider it. Gohan had never been to one. It felt right though, to think of sharing the love and commitment it meant in both cultures with Trunks. He hoped the prince would feel the same way too.

"Hey, the brats are gone, you can snap out of it now" Trunks' voice crept up in Gohan's ear. A pleased smile spread across the older male's face.

"Good" Gohan replied, leaning his head back against Trunks and nuzzling him. There hadn't been a night since they first came together that they hadn't at least fooled around. Tonight was no exception either. Every few moments during their lovemaking, Trunks would stroke Gohan's side and tell him how much he loved him. Having the prince in his arms like this was special every time, but this one even more so for it.

Gohan almost proposed when they were done. In the end though, he decided it was better to just drift off in each other's arms like normal. He would stick to the basics of the plan he'd begun to form earlier. Besides, he didn't have a ring yet.

It would be difficult to try and balance the human and saiyan aspects of something like this. Gohan knew Trunks would appreciate the effort though. Proposing wasn't a part of the saiyan traditions, but Bulma had indicated it was extremely important to humans. He would have to find a nice, yet subtle ring that could be worn under Trunks' gloves. Once he had that, he would feel more confident in bringing it up.

Gohan prepared himself over the next few days, not just in getting a ring, but mentally as well. He knew there was a chance that they wouldn't be able to actually have a wedding, for political reasons. Everything in him was sure Trunks would want to, but princes didn't always get to do what they _wanted_. It was the thought and desire, the proposal itself that might end up having to be enough for them.

When he thought about it like that, Gohan realized simply pulling Trunks aside in the hall one day to ask him was not going to cut it. Bulma had mentioned grand shows and expensive displays, but Gohan had initially ruled out things like that. Maybe he shouldn't have though... It would take some thought, and planning, but he was fairly sure he could pull off something meaningful, yet semi-private. He used his holocube to do a little more investigating on proposals.

Suddenly an idea struck him. He wondered if it might be a good 'bonding' experience for all of them, to get Trunks' attendants in on a surprise. The youngsters seemed to get along well, even though it had only been about a week. Gohan had caught Cumin staring more than he probably should have, but that was hardly an _offense_. If anything upsetting had been happening between them, Gohan was sure he'd be able to smell the unease.

In trying to evaluate if he should recruit the brats for helping, Gohan began studying them more closely. Katsu, the youngest, was equally willing to shadow either of the others, always letting them lead. It was fitting since he was the weakest.

Aaron seemed like he'd been instructed to be stoic, which Gohan could understand. In the power dynamic, he was by far the strongest of the three, but rarely asserted it.

Cumin didn't mind stepping up and leading, but he shot Aaron wary glances sometimes. It was like he almost couldn't believe that the other male didn't want the authority, however small, that came with his strength.

Gohan made a point of watching the cubs spar occasionally too. You could tell a lot about someone by how they acted in a fight. Katsu was quite a bit more devious than he would have expected, even though he was young. Gohan suspected he was smarter and more observant than he let on.

It was watching Aaron and Cumin spar together that helped shed the most light on their personalities though. Aaron always won graciously, and even with always losing, Cumin put up as good a fight as he could. It also looked like the saiyan whelp would rather be getting a kiss than a hand off the floor when they were done. From the way Aaron blushed, he definitely noticed it too... The young half breed seemed uncertain on how to respond to it though.

~/~

He didn't say _why_ he'd been watching, but Gohan pointed out his discovery to Trunks the next chance he got.

"You should talk to him then" Trunks said with a disbelieving shake of his head.

"Me? Which one did you mean?" Gohan frowned, "I'm not exactly a matchmaker."

"No, but you're in a position to offer a little friendly advice. And I meant Aaron. He probably doesn't know what he's _supposed_ to do about it" Trunks mused.

"What? How could he not know what to do?" Gohan shifted from frowning to raising an eyebrow.

"His father is an ambassador that's off world a lot. Aaron's been raised almost entirely by his mother. Even though the humans here are surrounded by saiyans, it doesn't mean they magically know and pass on all the saiyan ways" Trunks pointed out. "Why would you think Cumin should be talked to?"

"Well, I was thinking he might be kind of confused by Aaron, even though he likes him" Gohan replied.

Trunks grinned and wrapped his tail around Gohan's.

"Did I confuse you?" he asked sweetly. Gohan rolled his eyes and managed to only blush a little bit.

"Not as much as you wish" Gohan said gruffly, but he squeezed Trunks' tail back with his own, and then kissed him.

"Maybe I should talk to Aaron, and you can explain half breeds to Cumin" Trunks suggested, knowing Gohan's upbringing made him able to understand full blooded saiyans' motivations quite well.

"Are we sure we should condone them 'getting together' at this age though?" Gohan wanted to know.

"We were kissing at thirteen."

"You were thirteen, I was eighteen" Gohan pointed out.

"Pervert."

"You were hard to resist" Gohan said with a sigh. The look in his eyes was loving yet playful as he went on. "It was more of an issue for us partly _because_ of the age difference though... Cumin and Aaron don't have to worry about that. It's not like one with vastly more experience is taking advantage of the other."

"I would never have taken advantage of you, Gohan, I can't believe you'd even say that" Trunks said seriously. Gohan shoved his shoulder hard enough that Trunks actually fell over on the bed. It may have been all part of Trunks' ploy though. Even after all these years, Gohan could never assume he wasn't walking right into one of Trunks' traps for him. Since most traps, like this one, lead to them making out though, he didn't mind.

~/~

"So, is it just the power, or something else that attracts you to him?" Gohan didn't mince any words in addressing the issue with Cumin. The older male had pulled aside the younger for a little one on one instruction earlier. After a productive spar, and necessary shower, the two of them were getting dressed again. Gohan took care not to corner or even look at the teen directly, knowing he might be a bit confrontational about it. To his surprise, Cumin sighed, stopping his motion to dress.

"It's not just his power..." he admitted after a moment, "He has really nice eyes too..."

Gohan smiled. He knew all too well the pull of a pair of pretty eyes.

"I should probably back off though, you're right" Cumin said with resignation, rubbing his face.

"I didn't say that" Gohan put his hand on the teen's shoulder, since he seemed receptive to this talk. "Aaron can tell you like him, I'm sure, _but_, I don't think his lack of response means he doesn't like you" Gohan elaborated.

"What? He hasn't cornered me or tried to be alone with me at all, certainly never hit me _like that_" Cumin frowned.

"Ah, well...he may never end up _hitting_ you, even if you do get together..." Gohan said cautiously. Cumin was reflective for a moment, then stole a glance at Gohan out of the corner of his eye.

"You mean, because he's a half breed? Does it... Is it really that different?" he asked.

"It's not that _being_ one is so different. I think, personally, it has a lot to do with the amount of animal in our instincts. Full saiyans are a lot closer to the rage of the oozaru...you know how it is. With half breeds, even though they still like to fight and all that, there's not so much underlying anger" Gohan explained.

"Yeah, I've noticed you guys aren't usually as aggressive" Cumin agreed. His wording of "you" made Gohan smile. Sometimes Gohan would forget and lapse into talking about half breeds as if he wasn't one of them. He supposed it was helpful to have both perspectives though.

"The assertiveness is still there though, even if it isn't as close to the surface. I wouldn't go around trying to piss Aaron off or anything, because he'll still pound you" Gohan advised.

"I don't _mind_ at all, I didn't mean it like that" Cumin explained, "It's just, what am I supposed to do to find out if he likes me then?"

It gave Gohan hope to see the worry in Cumin's eyes and the nervous swish of his tail. He was perfectly willing to interact with Aaron, regardless of him being a little different. In fact, he wanted to interact with him a great deal more than he had been, apparently.

"Have you tried telling him that you like his eyes?" Gohan suggested.

"No... If he does like me, do you think that will help?" Cumin asked.

"It might. At the very least, it would get the conversation going."

"So I should talk to him about it, instead of trying to get him to attack me..." Cumin seemed to be taking in this novel idea with curiosity.

"Definitely. And once you do get talking, try to really listen. Don't let yourself get offended or angry without thinking things through" Gohan warned him.

"Now you sound like my dad" Cumin sighed and went back to pulling on his shirt, "He wants me to aim for being on the counsel too, but, I don't know..."

"It's sound advice to learn to control yourself, whether you want to woo someone or make a living out of it" Gohan added.

"Yeah... You know, I didn't think _you'd_ be so...willing to help...like this" Cumin turned to Gohan and actually looked at him. "My dad's bond mate saw you fight in the tournament to be the prince's guard. He said you were really fierce, and like, crazy strong. After seeing you win, he decided he'd join the program" Cumin informed him.

"Really?" Gohan was more flattered than he knew how to react to, "He joined the program because of _me_?"

"Yeah, and his daughter is really strong too, even at five... I don't see her a whole lot anymore, but we were almost an even match last time we sparred" Cumin admitted with a sigh. "I guess it's a good thing though. If _we_ were that strong, but still so close to animals, we'd probably end up destroying the universe or something" Cumin grinned and generally seemed to be in a much better mood now. Gohan laughed, and had to agree.

~/~

Trunks specifically arranged for Aaron to bring him lunch at an odd time the next day, so they would have a chance to talk alone.

"Can I ask you something?" the prince requested before his attendant could leave. Aaron's eyes widened a little, and he answered,

"Of course, your highness."

"I only ask, because it's a rather personal question" Trunks said, motioning for Aaron to have a seat. The younger half breed sat right away, nodding and keeping composed.

"What was your initial reaction, when you found out you'd been selected for this position?" Trunks asked casually.

"I was honored, your highness" Aaron said right away. Trunks smiled and nodded, then gave him a knowing look.

"And what was your _real_ first reaction?" he asked again, "It was your father who put you up for the job, wasn't it? You couldn't have been entirely pleased about leaving home, even if there were others to watch over your mother" Trunks prompted him. Aaron's face seemed to fill with understanding as Trunks spoke, but he still looked hesitant.

"Actually, yes, your highness, I was uneasy about being away" Aaron admitted.

"Just from home in general, or from any_one_ in particular?" Trunks asked, giving a little extra inflection to his words. Aaron must have known exactly what the prince meant to imply, because he blushed immediately.

"Oh, uh, no... There's no one..." he said quietly, showing the first signs of fidgeting. Honey colored eyes rose to meet Trunks' briefly, but then Aaron looked down again right away.

Good. At least they both knew what they were really talking about now.

"You know, if your father is half the jerk mine is, you were probably more than just 'uneasy' about what he'd done" Trunks mused. "Did you even know your name was in the running, or did he just spring it on you at the last moment?" Trunks smiled a smile of commiseration, and was glad to see Aaron return it wanly.

"He didn't tell me. I didn't even get to say goodbye to my older brother" Aaron admitted with a sigh.

"They're not all like that," Trunks said softly, "Just so you know."

Aaron met his eyes for much longer that time, and the nod he gave was slow.

"How will I know though?" he ventured to ask of the prince.

"Anyone who gives you the respect you're due, who makes an effort to meet you on your own terms, is worth giving a chance. No matter their breeding" Trunks said wisely. "Parents, you kind of just have to put up with though, I can't help you there."

~/~

Some time had passed, before Gohan finally went to approach the brats. He and Trunks had taken to calling them that more affectionately after a while. Unsurprisingly, since he had been watching for it, Gohan walked in on a telling scene. Cumin and Aaron were sharing the same side of a bench in the palace's massive mess hall, sitting closer together than normal. Their tails made gentle wisp-like motions in each other's directions, but hadn't truly wrapped together. Yet. Gohan was almost reluctant to interrupt their hushed tones. He had only a limited amount of time though...

Clearing his throat, he accidentally drew the attention of the kitchen staff as well, and had to wave them off. He sat down opposite from the teens at the table, and leaned in toward the center of it.

"Ok, I'm going to need both of your help, and Katsu's too" he said in a low, conspiratorial tone. Both their face's immediately piqued with interest.

~/~

Gohan's plan was actually pretty simple. He would have Cumin pick up the flowers for him from a market in the city. That would hopefully head off any rumors that might run ahead, if Gohan were to go get them himself. The special kind of trumpet lilies used in a marriage ceremony were hard to find, and kind of a stand-out purchase. The blood red coloring was highly visible, and saiyans didn't really have a whole lot of reasons for giving flowers.

Aaron's job was to acquire the ribbon, quite a length of it for Gohan's purposes. Katsu was assigned to watching Trunks, keeping tabs on his location, and running interference if needed while Gohan set it all up. Gohan himself had spent quite a few hours thinking and writing by starlight to prepare.

Trunks was not an unobservant male. He noticed Katsu following him around after not too long, but deemed it harmless. He did wonder in the back of his mind if the cub wanted something and was too shy to ask. The prince lead a busy life though, so he didn't have time to dwell on it. If it was important, Katsu would come forward. Until then, there was a routine to be maintained.

He didn't expect it to get disrupted quite like it did though.

Gohan still hadn't returned from his sparring session by the end of the day, so Trunks asked a guard if he'd been sent to the tanks. He received an answer in the negative. The prince assumed Gohan must have gone back to their rooms already then. That was kind of odd, but not ground shattering... He was probably studying on the holocube in his spare time.

Trunks absently reached for the doorknob to his room and found a note tied with a red bow around it. Part of the bow trailed into a longer string that lead inside, and the door had obviously been shut on it. He wasn't sure what to call the feeling that began to swell in his chest when he saw that. The smallest of noises behind him tipped the prince off to Katsu's continued presence. Trunks smiled. So that was the game they were playing.

Removing the note, Trunks opened it carefully, and was greeted by Gohan's careful script.

_When I was six, I asked my sire why I learned to fight. He told me it was so that I could protect you._

The nameless emotion stirred stronger when Trunks read that. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but he was certain Gohan knew how the simple words would affect him. His eyes landed on the bit of ribbon still closed in the door, from where he'd undone the bow. Grasping it, he then turned the knob, pushing the door open.

As if drawn by a magnet, his gaze followed along the red lifeline to where it was tied next. A pillow from their bed was sitting on one of the plush chairs, with a note stuck in where the ribbon wrapped around it.

_I would have slept on the floor for a thousand nights, to earn your trust being rested in me._

Shit. Trunks' eyes welled up, completely outside of his control. He folded the note back up, pressing it and the previous one flat against the armor of his chest. Grappling for composure, he couldn't help but trace the line of the ribbon leading away from the pillow.

It ran over to the mirror, and another note was tied up with it at the corner. Trunks felt like he was walking through a dream while he went over and undid it.

_The first time I saw your eyes, I thought they were pretty. The first time I saw your eyes filled with love, I thought they were perfect._

There was only one more spot the ribbon was tied to in here, and it was the knob of the door leading to their bedroom. Trunks' fingers were shaky as he opened the slip of paper.

_I know being your bond mate is a commitment that lasts until we die, but a lifetime doesn't feel like long enough to spend with you._

When Trunks opened the door, he could barely see for the tears in his eyes. He managed to blink them away quickly, continuing to follow the ribbon. It's end was being held by Gohan, standing in the middle of the room. Trunks immediately noticed the bouquet of marriage lilies in his hands. Suddenly he felt light headed, and took a few deep breaths to steady himself while Gohan began to talk.

"Trunks, I want to tie knots with you..." Gohan said gently, feeling more emotional than he had been prepared for. Trunks gave a choked sounding sob, trying to stay quiet for him. Smiling through his own stinging eyes, Gohan went on. He didn't have too much left that needed saying anyway.

"I don't want to wait until we're old and at the end of life to show how much I love you" Gohan knelt on one knee, like Bulma had shown him, and held out the ring.

"Trunks, will you marry me?"

He welcomed Trunks moving into his arms, dropping the ribbon and even the flowers to accommodate him. Gohan held onto the ring though.

"You're insane" Trunks cried into his shoulder, holding him tightly.

"I know... But even if they won't actually let us, I wanted you to know, it's what I want. You're what I want, Trunks" Gohan held him close, rubbing his back.

"You're what I want too, Gohan. You know I'd marry you in a heartbeat" Trunks picked his head up from Gohan's shoulder, "In fact, even if we can't, I still want to wear your ring. To me, we will be" he said earnestly.

Gohan's heart melted all over again. He began to cry as well, tears mixed with laughter, as he pulled off Trunks' glove.

They both watched intently as Gohan fitted the ring on Trunks' fingers, trying a couple before he found one that it sat well on. Their kisses were salty with tears, but neither of them cared.

"I love you so much, Gohan, more than I know how to put into words sometimes" Trunks admitted.

"I love you too, Trunks, more than words could ever do justice."

~/~

Bardock wouldn't say keeping track of, gathering information on, and listening to the Purists was an easy job. He preferred it over waiting for the information to come to him though. At least in this manner.

"Easy there Fasha, he's not as young as he used to be" Toma nudged his bond mate in the ribs, joining in the teasing just a bit. These days, any reunion between their old team members was an excuse to poke a little fun at their former commander. Bardock usually took it in stride. They were all good warriors and friends, so he didn't mind the occasional jabs.

He had run a tight ship when they were an active unit. Of course there was some natural blow back since now they _could_. Some topics though, riled his fur more than others.

"Males can still breed well past his age though" Fasha waved a dismissive hand, smiling broadly, "I'm telling you, she looked amazingly good, all things considered. She could probably pop out another whelp no problem." Fasha winked at Toma, who couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'm not interested in training any more brats" Bardock said curtly, his arms crossed and tail making agitated motions.

It was that moment that Gohan and the prince walked onto the balcony, hearing only the end of Bardock's statement.

"Who needs training?" Gohan asked, making their presence known.

"No one" Bardock huffed.

"Oh please, you've got an amazing track record, training wise. Two out of three successes is better than most" Fasha snickered, and didn't specify which two she meant. The obvious assumption would have been those who were super saiyan, but Bardock _was_ from the intelligence line...

"Fucking hell" the diminutive female raised an eyebrow as she noticed Gohan, "Who gave you permission to grow two feet taller while I was gone?"

"I didn't know I was supposed to wait for you..." Gohan said with a grin, rubbing the back of his head. Fasha looked him up and down, shaking her head.

"Damn, it's a good thing for the prince that I'm past my breeding years" she said, eyeing him with a swish of her tail, "Or I'd give you a couple whelps to raise myself."

Bardock rolled his eyes.

"Well, I guess you should get going, the brats here obviously have something they wanted to talk with me about" the elder male said with a sarcastic lilt.

"Actually, we just had some free time and sought out your ki signatures" Gohan was accidentally truthful before he realized Bardock was trying to use them as an excuse to get rid of Fasha. The look his sire gave him was an accusingly disappointed one.

"Is that what you were talking about? Breeding?" Trunks asked, eyeing Fasha wearily. He could tell from her scent that she was indeed past her breeding years. It still made him nervous though. Full blooded saiyans wouldn't even think of breeding at his and Gohan's ages. There was too much adventure to be had in life to be stuck raising a cub.

Around thirty or forty though, a female could basically lay claim to producing the offspring of any male she wanted. With a ratio of only one out of nine saiyans being female, they certainly had their pick. Trunks was not looking forward to the issue of producing an heir. It was different for him, being the prince, but he was sure it would be quite a headache.

"Sort of. I just dropped by to let an old friend know a few things, and mentioned that I happened to run into Rhuba the other day" Fasha was grinning from ear to ear. She was probably delighted to get to re-hash the whole thing again for the brats. There was a definite light of conspiracy in her eyes. Gohan took it to mean he was supposed to know who this saiyan was, but he had no idea.

"And who's Rhuba?" he asked, trying to sound casual about it.

"Ha! Somehow, I'm not surprised he never mentioned her" Fasha laughed.

"Rhuba is Kakarot's mother" Toma supplied with a knowing grin, patting Bardock's shoulder as if in sympathy.

"She's alive?" Gohan said in disbelief. The older saiyans all burst into laughter, even Bardock cracking a smile at that.

"Rhuba was one of the strongest females on the planet in her prime. She still might be... I'm not sure anything but old age _can_ kill her. Why she took a liking to commander grumpy over here, none of us will ever know" Fasha almost giggled with mirth.

"We were all pretty shocked, I think you most of all" Toma added, watching Bardock's reactions.

"Yeah, well, it was more coincidence than planning on either of our parts" he admitted, "And when Raditz turned out to be an elite, she decided to come back for another." Bardock shrugged his shoulders and tried to play it off. The incredible mismatch between the strains of his and Rhuba's lines was pretty much laughable. He hadn't had a whole lot of say in it though. She was from a wildling segment, known for producing saiyans of pinnacle physical strength.

The majority of them lived on the fringes of saiyan civilization. They were usually more animal than was capable of getting along with others side by side in society. And that was saying something for their race. Bardock was just glad she'd shown no interest in raising the whelps, or the moon only knew what would have happened...

"You know, if you're not going to get all huffy anymore, that takes all the fun out of it" Fasha put her hands on her hips as if scolding him.

"Sorry to ruin your amusement" Bardock smiled sweetly.

"Whatever, I said my piece. I should head out now anyway" Fasha tossed her short hair in a manner that let them all know they were beneath her. She was a female after all. "I'll let you know if anything else comes my way" she said with a nod and a disinterested tone, then took to the skies.

"A lot of help you two idiots are" Bardock muttered to Gohan and Trunks after she'd left.

"Sorry, I didn't know..." Gohan looked sheepish. It was hard for him to imagine what Bardock's breed mate had been like, since he knew nothing about her.

"Did the two of them not get along?" he asked Toma, knowing sometimes a good match for your line trumped personality. His sire didn't look upset, but certainly didn't look like he'd be answering any questions about it.

"Ah, well... There's a saying about females like Rhuba" Toma said, grinning and looking askance at Bardock, "She could tie a male up in knots, but not a string."


	8. Chapter 8 - Maturation

"So, do you think we should wait to ask?" Trunks asked Gohan, stroking his chest, "It doesn't seem like things are going to settle down anytime soon..."

The two of them were laying in bed at the end of another long day. It was hard to know when or how to approach the King with their request to marry. It wasn't as if they weren't already a pair. They were more concerned for the public's opinion of them 'altering' the tradition by going through it so young. Or at least Gohan was.

After finding out it was something Gohan wanted, Trunks became more and more adamant that it was something they should be allowed. At least when it was just the two of them. The prince was not so foolish as to think he could express most of those sentiments in front of his father.

"You're right, this doesn't feel like something that will ever just 'settle down' on it's own anymore" Gohan commented, referring to the half breed 'issue'.

"Then there's no point in putting it off" Trunks said, climbing on top of Gohan. He straddled his lover's waist, tail waving happily as he took in the sight of Gohan below him.

"What, you want to go barge into your father's rooms right now and ask him?" Gohan said sarcastically, running his hands up Trunks' torso.

"I was thinking of having sex one more time before we were condemned to the ridicule of 'being in love' by everyone" he said with a smirk and roll of his hips.

"Hmm, I like the way your mind works..." Gohan said huskily, Trunks' weight and movements already beginning to affect him. He rolled the frisky male over and wasted no time in beginning to stretch him. They did this so often that neither needed much in the way of preparation to accommodate the other.

Gohan did like to hear the little edge it produced in Trunks' voice though, when he rubbed his fingers over that special spot. He could tell his partner was in an extra touchy-feely mood from the way Trunks' legs rubbed against him continually. Gohan could definitely work with that.

When he began to penetrate him, Gohan didn't let Trunks' legs fall free like normal. Instead he kept hold of them, resting the smaller male's knees over his shoulders. Wide blue eyes seemed to like the change in position, so Gohan pressed forward all the way. Trunks' tail wrapped around Gohan's thigh as best it could.

Broad hands caressed the skin of Trunks' legs soothingly. His head felt almost as if it was too heavy for his neck, and Trunks lay completely relaxed against the sheets. Gohan began to move in and out of him, and thrills of pleasure ran through his loins with each thrust.

Trunks' lavender hair was a messy tangle beneath him. Gohan slowly bent his lover's legs further and further, enjoying the nearly helpless look Trunks was giving him. There was absolutely no resistance in his prince's body, delighting Gohan thoroughly. Every moan Trunks gave seemed to make him ache with desire even more.

Trunks came in a wave, coating his chest in the space between where his own knees pressed to it. He whimpered a little when the strength of Gohan's driving increased as he came too. The prince had no reason at that point to think he'd be embarrassed by it.

The muffled thump and hushed voices that came from the other side of the door a moment later though, made him turn red with the revelation.

They had an audience.

Even in the darkened room, Trunks could see Gohan's eyes flash as he pressed a finger over his lips. It was an obvious call for silence. Trunks almost felt bad for what the poor brats had just brought down on themselves.

Gohan threw the door open in a burst of speed, and Trunks heard distinctly startled squeaks come from the darkness beyond. He got up with a sigh, and took the time to pull on a robe. When Gohan came back in, he had Cumin and Aaron each by the back of the neck, pushing them ahead of him into the room. As he released them, they both sank to their knees in fear. Trunks sat on the edge of the bed and shook his head in disbelief.

"What exactly did you hope to gain from this?" he asked calmly, not _truly_ upset. The prince knew Gohan would take his cue from his actions, on how angry to get.

Aaron briefly looked up at them, for which Cumin elbowed him. The male went back to staring at the floor right away. Interesting.

Trunks gave an exaggerated sigh. He got up and went over to the wardrobe, pulling out another robe for Gohan, since he had neglected to dress. Making a rare display of it, he put the garment on Gohan as if to say, 'this is mine, and should be covered properly'.

"Surely you two know _how_ sex works..." Trunks prompted them, tying Gohan's sash.

"Um, basically, yeah..." Aaron was the one to volunteer a reply. Saiyans had excellent night vision, so Trunks could tell both were blushing hard.

"Basically? Is that all?" Trunks asked.

"...It's just..." Aaron fidgeted. "You don't mind if he takes you, even though you're the prince?" he blurted out all at once, obviously afraid he was overstepping his bounds.

Trunks blushed at that. He hoped it was gracefully.

"It's not about 'minding', I enjoy being with Gohan in many different positions" Trunks kissed Gohan on the cheek before going to sit down again. His lover seemed to be coming back out of protective guard mode now, and joined him.

"Is it because he's...older?" Cumin asked next, his eyes flicking up to Trunks, then to Gohan, then back to Trunks. Son of a council member indeed.

"Our power levels may have instinctively guided things more in the beginning, but it's never been all or nothing" Trunks informed him, giving Cumin a small, knowing smile for the delicacy of his wording.

"You mean you share" Aaron said with a small bit of wonder in his voice.

"Well, if it were just a 'sexual needs' thing, it might be more rigid. Gohan and I though, we love each other, so it's different" Trunks admitted frankly.

The two kneeling males shared a look, but no words between them.

"We're sorry we invaded your privacy" Cumin said genuinely, addressing Trunks.

"Yeah, we won't do it ever again, we promise" Aaron added.

"We accept your apology" Trunks said magnanimously, "A word of advice though..."

Both of the brats looked up at him seriously.

"It's not an order, but, you might want to wait on the actual sex yourselves for a few years" Trunks told them. Aaron nodded, but Cumin was slower to acknowledge him. Trunks looked at him expectantly, causing the teen to blush anew.

"Um, why? If you don't mind me asking..." Cumin asked.

"Just because it will mean more to you if you have to wait a while. I mean, if you see each other as being the kind of male you'd want for a bond mate, then there's not really any harm in it. It's only a suggestion" Trunks reiterated. It was obvious to him which of them was more interested in trying sex...perhaps it was the 'positions' issue which had stymied it...

They both seemed to take in his words, and that was all Trunks had really wanted. The rest was up to them.

After they had been dismissed, Gohan whispered in Trunks' ear.

"You should have mentioned opening the floodgates too. Poor Cumin may have no idea what he's getting into" Gohan chuckled.

"Well you can bring it up to him the next time you're alone. I think I handled it pretty well" Trunks argued as he pulled Gohan back to bed.

"Yeah, you did" Gohan kissed Trunks' temple. At the same time both of them sighed,

"Poor Katsu."

~/~

"Have you lost your fucking minds?"

Vegeta didn't even give his bond mate a look for speaking out of turn. He was too focused on the words that had just come out of Trunks' mouth.

"Say that again?" the King told him, already leaning forward in disbelief.

"We want to get married" Trunks reaffirmed, posture tall and unintimidated. Even though Gohan had been the one to do the asking, this was Trunks' conversation to have. Gohan was at his side of course, holding his hand as they faced their fathers. Bardock and Toma were there too, but remained silent.

"Wow Vegeta, did we sleep for a hundred years last night without realizing it?" Kakarot asked sarcastically.

"That's a good question, but no, I don't think we did... What the hell has gotten into you two?" the King seemed to be mildly amused along with his disbelief.

"We love each other."

Both Gohan and Trunks braced themselves, but the backlash was not as severe as they had feared. Kakarot snorted, and Vegeta rubbed his forehead with his hand.

"So you wish to perform this human ceremony of love" the King said tiredly, not even looking up at them.

"No, we wish to be married in the saiyan way" Trunks made clear. The King's head snapped up at that.

"You're just whelps" he said dismissively, "I can't allow it. You'll cause too much trouble."

Trunks wasn't about to let it go at that though.

"Father, it isn't just the full blooded saiyans who are your people. It seems theirs is the only opinion you ever worry about..." the price challenged him. Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest and stared at his son long and hard before replying.

"They're not the ones causing unrest though. They're not the ones who need pacified and are threatening to riot in the streets" the King said calmly.

"It would be a mistake to underestimate them" Trunks said bluntly, crossing his own arms. "Just because they keep their emotions in check, doesn't mean they can't start feeling alienated by your actions."

Vegeta sighed. Trunks hoped it meant he was getting through.

"Do you think of me as 'other'? Or am I just your son?" Trunks added quietly. The prince knew everyone in the room heard it though. He took a step forward, letting his arms fall to indicate he meant no confrontation by it. "Letting me and Gohan marry would send a signal to the half breeds that it's ok for them to be a little different, there's nothing _wrong_ with loving."

"Except that a large percentage of our race_ does_ think love is wrong. Or if not wrong, then just unnecessary..." the King pointed out.

"And at any given time a third of our people want to return to living in the caves again too, father..." Trunks threw his own argument back at him. The King gave him a look that said he didn't appreciate it.

"...Trunks, I just can't" he said, shaking his head. The prince opened his mouth to argue again, but the King raised a hand, cutting him off. "Look, if we wanted to start a war, then that would be a good way to go about it. I'm trying to keep things together though, guide everyone through this change so we come out better and stronger as an entire race. The best possible thing the half breeds could be doing right now is to try to appear as saiyan as possible, not be putting human spins on our time honored customs."

Gohan knew they had lost. He felt bad more for Trunks than himself though. Reaching up, he put a hand on the prince's shoulder. Even through their armor, he knew Trunks would feel the weight of it. It wasn't that Gohan _wanted_ him to give up, just that he knew pushing past a certain point would be counterproductive. Trunks had obviously sensed it too, and turned to look at his taller body guard.

Normally putting your back to the King was a bit of a faux pas, but it was the furthest thing from the prince's mind right now. He looked so disappointed that Gohan felt his heart breaking a bit. With a gentle cupping of his cheek, Gohan kissed Trunks right there in front of everyone. The younger male leaned up into it eagerly, wrapping his tail in Gohan's.

"I still love you the same, no matter what" Gohan told him, smiling softly as they ignored their surroundings. Trunks nodded, taking Gohan's hand in his own again.

"Me too... Let's go then, we wouldn't want to be late for our next appointment" the prince smiled back, but sadly.

The display had obviously made everyone else in the room a little uncomfortable, but for different reasons. Kakarot wasn't going to say anything if the King wasn't, but he took it as being rather defiant, in light of what the King had just said.

Vegeta certainly saw that aspect of it, but was more concerned with the feeling of guilt it gave him. Trunks was right about needing to remember the half breeds were his people too. The King had to make sure they were being generally accepted as such first though. Singling them out in any way right now would just drive further the idea that they were separate.

Bardock and Toma hadn't really been part of the conversation, they were just observers. When the brats had kissed in front of them, it made Bardock feel strangely...protective...of them. Maybe it was just because he had more perspective than most. To him, Gohan and Trunks embodied everything that they were striving to become as a race. He didn't like to see them denied this over political crap.

Toma had just been joked around with by one of the guards a few days ago on this very subject. He was glad that he hadn't passed on the knowledge of the inebriated teasing now. It was becoming more and more common for males to survive to his and Bardock's ages. That didn't mean they were ready to _admit_ to their age and tie knots though.

After the door shut behind the prince and his guard, Bardock stepped in front of the King, drawing his attention. If there was anything he was truly good at, it was helping royalty make informed decisions.

"Now, hear me out Vegeta..."

~/~

"I can't believe this" Trunks was as angry as Gohan had ever seen him. The prince punched the buttons to the sparring chamber with a force Gohan was afraid would damage the panel. He said nothing about it though.

"He denies our request right away, but spends two days in thought over your sire's suggestion" Trunks pulled his cape off in an ungraceful tangle. Gohan removed his quickly as well. He was afraid the spar was going to start with or without him being ready, given Trunks' mood.

The prince stalked out to the middle of the open floor, his tail bristling, then turned and crouched.

"Come on, try and hit me already" he said with a scowl.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather take the offensive today?" Gohan offered, going to meet him.

"Fine."

Trunks attacked him with a calculated anger. It was bordered on frightening, for Gohan to see how far he'd advanced. As saiyans, there was always a certain amount of caring woven into attacking the one you loved during a spar though. The best way to show you cared was to help your partner get stronger, after all. Gohan felt a strange mix of pride, unease, and arousal as they fought.

Even as super saiyans, it would take hours of traded blows for them to truly wear themselves out. They managed to accomplish it today though. Gohan gave into it and let himself sink to the floor, laying down for a moment when they were done. Trunks was still on his knees, and one glance told Gohan he was still as upset as when they began.

"Hey, it'll be alright, Trunks. At least he's going to allow it" Gohan said softly, and not just because of the various pains he was in. Trunks sighed, his tail laying flat and motionless. Getting to his knees, Gohan hugged him close, ignoring the twinges of ki burns and broken bones.

"They're ruining it" Trunks said shakily, emotion filling his voice.

"We don't have to still do it, if you don't want to" Gohan offered.

"No. I want to, it's not that. I just don't want it to be about drawing out the Purists and violence and crackdowns. Us getting married was supposed to be about how much we love each other" Trunks looked up and him with jaded, glistening eyes. Gohan kissed each one in turn, tasting blood and salt mixed together.

"It means what we say it means. They can't take that part from us unless we let them" Gohan informed him. Trunks nodded against him as they hugged.

"I guess it's just something I have to get used to, with being royalty. Everything's always going to be twisted and used by others for their own means, isn't it?" Trunks said with a sigh, tapping into that wisdom beyond his years that he occasionally could.

"Yeah, pretty much... I'll always be there though, to know what you really meant" Gohan would have squeezed him tighter, but he was pretty sure that would be _too much_ pain. Trunks kissed the side of his neck in response.

"Good." The prince's tail came alive with a mischievous swish next. "You know, two can play at that game... If my father wants to make a pot-stirring spectacle out of our commitment, then maybe I'll invite all the half breeds on the planet to the ceremony... Just to make sure he gets what he wants" Trunks started practically purring in Gohan's arms as he talked out the idea. Gohan smiled and kissed the top of his head. He was unsuccessful in suppressing a chuckle.

"It's never a dull moment at your side, my prince. I look forward to it."

~/~

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at Paragus' boldness, but he wasn't technically breaking any rules by requesting a private audience. The King weighed denying him and citing his busy schedule, but decided against it. In some ways it was better to just address these things head on.

"I suppose I could spare a quarter of an hour or so" Vegeta motioned for the rest of the council to leave them. He would humor Paragus, but not _indulge_ him.

"Thank you, your majesty."

Only after all the others had filed out did Paragus approach the throne.

"Forgive the suddenness of my request, but I know the King's schedule is tight, and felt I had to seize the opportunity..." the gray streaked warrior addressed him, going to one knee.

"Your assumption is accurate" Vegeta indicated, "Speak your piece then, it wouldn't do for me to keep my afternoon appointments waiting."

Paragus straightened, but then his posture did something strange. He relaxed.

"Your majesty," he began, but his tone didn't match the formality of the title, "I know it must have been difficult, to be robbed of your own father so young..."

Vegeta spent effort not to visibly stiffen at the intimacy of the subject. So Paragus wanted to appeal to him in this way? It was a risky tactic, to imply that they were on a close enough level to permit this kind of candor... Pushing his own irritation down, Vegeta decided to play along and see where it lead.

When the King made no objection in the pause after his statement, Paragus went on, feeling it had been accepted.

"It is hard sometimes, to know where to draw the line, with indulging our offspring. I myself have struggled with this as well... It is necessary though, for those in power to have to sacrifice sometimes. Your father knew the concept well" Paragus made a point of dancing around his actual subject.

"My father is greatly missed, of course" Vegeta said, seeming to agree but not really committing to anything, "His sacrifices are legendary among us."

Paragus nodded solemnly.

"I think, as one who sat on his council before, that he would have advised a bit more sacrifice in the young prince's life..."

That he might have. Vegeta had no idea what his father would have thought about the program. There had been decades between his death and its implementation. The King sighed, thinking that this male in front of him certainly knew what he was doing...

"Be that as it may, I actually didn't allow it out of favor to him" Vegeta said in perfect truth. It was the next section he fudged a bit, but that was how the best lies came to be.

"It's been too long since the saiyans had a large, planet wide celebration to bring us together. There's always plenty of favor to go around in the setting up of these kinds of things. I had actually planned to use it as a way to show my appreciation for the loyalty and dedication of certain houses, yours included, Paragus. My father would have made sure to let every male that served him know just where they stood." Vegeta was used to performing for the peons, and gave every sincerity he could to his little speech.

Paragus seemed contemplative. Before the elder male could speak though, Vegeta clinched all arguments.

"At my personal invitation, you and your bond mate are to join the royal box for the event." It was an honor that was literally impossible for Paragus to refuse. Aside from the ceremony itself, marriages were usually accompanied by some good natured sparring among relatives. For royalty, it meant a tournament being held instead.

"Of course, your majesty, we would be honored" Paragus said with a bow, all formality back in his voice now that he had failed. Vegeta hoped he was smart enough to not try that particular track again. He was getting tired of reigning himself in from causing physical pain to the presumptuous male.

~/~

Dawn was cool and bright on the day of Trunks and Gohan's marriage. Leaving capes and armor behind, they headed out into the vast wilds. Vegeta-sei was a massive planet compared to most, namely earth. The saiyans were the deadliest animal found on it, though there were many lesser ones as well. It was one of those that they were after this morning.

Had they been a normal pair, non-royalty, their kill would be fed to the entire wedding party. Since Trunks was the prince they only had to bring down something large enough to feed their immediate pack. The thousands of others celebrating along with them today would have to find their own food.

For reasons he couldn't readily place, landing in that small clearing with Gohan made Trunks' pulse quicken. They had on nothing but training suits made of spandex, and their boots. Not that he would really care if he was, but Trunks felt almost naked without his armor, and gloves, and accoutrements. It was all kind of exciting.

"You've never been out into the wilds before, have you?" Gohan looked him up and down with a small smile.

"No. Why?" Trunks cocked his head to the side.

"It's just, you're awfully cute like this. Like a cub out on his first adventure" Gohan's eyes sparkled as he watched Trunks' nostrils flare almost continually, naturally smelling the wind around them.

"Maybe I'll show you I'm actually quite fierce by the end of the day" Trunks grinned, eyeing Gohan with challenge.

"Oh, I'm not worried about that" the older male replied, watching Trunks' posture, "I think I'll be more concerned over whether you can still tie knots by the end of the day" he teased. The prince crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head to the side with a dramatic huff.

"Do you want me to scratch out some calculus in the dirt with a stick to prove my civilization?" he asked, watching Gohan out of the corner of his eye. The wind blew at the prince's long hair, carrying his scent along with it as well. Gohan had half a mind to hunt something entirely different this morning instead... Stepping close, he put his arms around Trunks' waist and whispered in his ear.

"No, I want to bathe in the blood of a wild beast with you" he purred, feeling affected too by Trunks' state and the excitement of the day. Trunks' nose worked overtime as a new scent entered the mix between them.

"Do all saiyans get this aroused before a hunt?" he asked, not denying that in all likelihood, Gohan's wish would come true.

"No" Gohan chuckled a little, at the both of them, "And I seriously doubt the humans do either...it must just be us."

"We should probably get something roasting first before we get that..._animalistic_" Trunks breathed into Gohan's ear, making him shiver.

"You're right, you're right..." Gohan said, though neither of them moved away from the other yet. Taking a deep breath, Gohan sighed and stopped giving in to the feeling, knowing it would be easy to recall later.

"So, our fathers, us, Bardock and Toma, that's six saiyans... Say two, three times each person's body weight to be full..." Gohan began calculating out loud, as a distraction.

"Don't forget mom" Trunks admonished him, looking a little more normal.

"Can your mother eat her own body weight in food?" Gohan said teasingly. It wasn't like her appetite was truly one to consider in the raw poundage they would need.

"Only if it's chocolate" Trunks said with a smirk. Gohan laughed, scaring some birds out of a nearby tree. Both of them looked a bit sheepish after that, and decided to get down to the business of actually hunting. Leaving the small clearing for the leafy underbrush, they set out in a westward direction, keeping their faces to the wind.


	9. Chapter 9 - The Ties That Bind

It took less than an hour to locate their first option in prey, but they passed the herd by. Tradition preferred they find one kill that would be large enough to feed them all. When the situation permitted, Gohan would hand down tidbits passed to him by Bardock. It wasn't as if males of their strength needed them, but it helped to pass the time.

It wasn't that long before they tracked down a ki signature large enough for what they intended. They came upon the giant horned predator from around a small cropping of rock. Perfect. Gohan knew of its meat, and would be quite pleased to eat it. He quietly pulled Trunks back behind the rock.

"Head or heart, right?" the prince whispered to him seriously. Gohan nodded.

"These guys have three hearts though, so go for the brain" he advised in hushed tones, tapping the side of his head.

They had both agreed that Trunks would get to strike the blow. Gohan knew that part of the prince's training growing up had included killing. It was rather different, slaying a monster in the wild though. There had been no sentencing here, nor was there pride to uphold by fighting well. It was just plain and simple survival. They needed to eat, and this creature tasted good and was not as strong as they were.

Trunks nodded, his tail wrapping around his waist with determination. Gohan smiled as he watched his soon to be husband stalk around the corner. Once Trunks was out of sight, Gohan moved to peer around the outcropping after him. He wasn't going to miss this.

Getting fairly close to the beast, Trunks moved quietly and stayed down wind. He could have flown up and slaughtered the thing in less time than it took to blink, but Gohan seemed to be having fun doing it this way... At a certain point it did become impossible for Trunks not to be noticed.

He was kind of expecting a giant roar and snapping of teeth in his direction. The prince was too advanced of a warrior though, to be thrown off by the tail sweeping toward him from behind. Aiming quickly, Trunks fired a ki blast right behind the creature's eye, below the horns. His flight carried him safely out of the tail's intended path. Its motion seemed cut a bit short as the creature died on the spot.

The sheer weight of the animal when it fell caused the surrounding landscape to tremble. A few rocks slid down the embankment that the two half breeds had been crouched behind a moment ago. The caw and screech of birds being startled reverberated around them as multiple wings took off.

The prince hadn't even gotten his hands dirty.

"You know" Gohan said as he came up, "I remember this stuff being a lot bloodier when I was young."

Some fluid was pooling from the head shot, but the creature was left entirely intact after such a clean killing.

"Well, we do still have to gut it" Trunks pointed out. Gohan put his hand on Trunks' shoulder.

"True" he said, sounding pleased. Trunks shook his head and gestured toward the hulk.

"So where are these three hearts you spoke of?" he asked, to keep things moving along. They did have other plans to attend to today.

Gohan moved forward and used a beam of ki to pierce its hide. He grabbed a hold of one side, pulling back to reveal the inner flesh. Pulsing out of the creature, a wave of blood coated most of Gohan's lower half. He didn't seem to mind or notice though. Trunks just watched as he reached in and removed a mass of flesh that barely fit in his arms. Mostly coated in blood up to his shoulders, Gohan turned to Trunks with a pleased expression.

"The hearts are smaller than you'd think for such a huge animal, but that's probably because they have so many."

Trunks nodded in agreement.

Gohan walked over to him, trailing fluids from his load.

"Here, have the first bite, it's your kill" he offered. Trunks raised an eyebrow at him, his tail flicking behind him.

"I'm not really interested in eating _raw heart_."

Gohan gave him a look that Trunks could have sworn he'd seen on the King's face, more than once even... Ripping off a chunk of the flesh, Gohan held it in his hand while consuming the piece with hot ki. Blood and fat sizzled as the meat cooked right in his palm. Once it was singed enough to be considered 'cooked', Gohan offered it daintily to Trunks. Pinching it between thumb and forefinger, he gently placed it in the prince's grasp.

Trunks accepted the morsel, slightly examining it as he raised it to his mouth.

"No wonder you were so amazed by the food at the palace" he said sarcastically.

Gohan used the back of his hand to smear a line of blood up the side of Trunks' face. Probably a little more forcefully than he needed to. Trunks almost dropped the meat in shock, but managed to hold onto it while delivering a glare to his bond mate. Gohan took a deliberate bite off the raw heart, keeping his gaze locked with Trunks'.

The prince tore off the mouthful he'd originally intended of his cooked version. Both chewed in silent defiance, watching the other closely.

It was Trunks that sprang first, which surprised Gohan. Suddenly the prince was on top of him, pinning him to the blood soaked dirt. He could virtually see Trunks' pupils dilating at this close distance.

"You made me drop the heart" Gohan growled. Trunks' grip on his wrists increased.

"There's two more left."

"You're going to get your suit all bloody" Gohan pointed out, taunting but yet encouraging.

"Not if you stay on the bottom" Trunks growled back. Their groins ground together and that was the last thing Gohan remembered distinctly. Everything was heat and instincts and a sense of urgency.

Trunks must have lost. Gohan wasn't exactly in a state of mind to be _letting_ him take the dominant role, so it was understandable. When the haze began to recede, and Gohan came to, Trunks was laying on his stomach beneath him. The sound he was making could have been either a purr or a growl. Gohan wasn't completely sure.

"Hey..." Gohan nuzzled the back of Trunks' neck, which was now sporting a new, deep bite mark.

"Hey..." Trunks replied, his tail squeezing where it was already wrapped around Gohan's leg. Feeling the tail uncurl, Gohan pulled gently out of Trunks' body. He was glad to see it was one of the few places not covered in blood from their activity. He had to vocalize it, just to make sure...it wasn't like they had lube out here or anything...

"Are you ok?" he asked, trying to sound soothing and hopeful at the same time. It ended up making him sound like he was completely in love. Trunks chuckled, finally opening his eyes.

"I'll be fine...which is more than I can say for my suit though. I should take yours and make you go back naked" the prince informed him lazily. Gohan looked down at Trunks' clothing, or what was left of it.

"I think the pants are still wearable...the shirt though, yeah, looks like I was in a hurry" he said sheepishly.

"That's because I had the foresight to pull those down before you could get to them, after you _ripped_ my _spandex_ shirt in two" Trunks said as he slowly got up. Gohan blushed from the base of his neck up to the top of his head.

"Did I?" he smiled apologetically, kneeling beside him.

"Yeah... It was pretty hot though, so I forgive you" Trunks grinned. Gohan pulled him over so they could kiss.

"I'll still give you my shirt to wear back though, since mine is fine."

"It's ok, as long as I have pants, that's the important part, right?" Trunks teased.

"But you're the prince..."

"And a lot of good it did me twenty minutes ago..." Trunks commented snidely. Gohan bowed his head, nudging at Trunks' with it to let him know how much he appreciated his ability to joke.

"It hasn't been very long then? We should probably get back on track..." Gohan commented cautiously. He didn't like the fact that he hadn't been aware of his own actions, and felt guilty.

"Hey," Trunks pulled Gohan's face back up to where he could look at it, "I didn't mean to make you feel bad about this. I started it, remember? You think I didn't know I was picking a fight I couldn't win?"

Gohan smiled, and kissed him very thoroughly in response.

Trunks matched his eager tone, but pulled away before anything had a chance to become heated again.

"Ok, I know what you're going to think, but I don't care" the prince said, standing and holding a hand out to pull Gohan up with him, "We're both still covered in dirt and blood, and it is _so_ not hot anymore" he complained.

"Ok, ok, we'll clean up as soon as this big guy's gutted and draining" Gohan nodded seriously.

"Ha. It's cute that you would think that... You can gut it if you want to, but I'm going to go find a stream right now."

"We can't just leave it sit" Gohan argued half heartedly, knowing how this would play out already.

"Then get gutting. Crawl up in there and do what you've got to do" Trunks said, making motions with his hands. Gohan wasn't sure what they were meant to imply, but Trunks had obviously never gutted anything before, judging from them. With a toss of his lavender hair, the prince walked off, leaving Gohan shaking his head. It was ok though. If Trunks wanted to make up for the lack of being able to best him by ordering him around, he could live with that.

~/~

Going for efficiency, Gohan had their kill readied for roasting in less than an hour. Even digging the pit was quick with good ki control.

"Tag, you're it" Trunks said when he came back from his mission to clean up. Gohan was glad. Blood was rather sticky when drying. Trunks pointed out the direction of the river to him, and then was left to take over the operation.

Gohan had the meat cut into chunks so it would cook faster, which was nice. Trunks went about getting a fire going and setting them all on spits. It took a lot of trees, but he got it done quickly with his enhanced speed. As long as they didn't get derailed again, Trunks figured they'd make it to the palace with their haul for a late lunch.

When Gohan came back, infinitely cleaner for the rush of the water, Trunks smiled.

"It's too bad we couldn't have taken a picture of ourselves like that" he commented, leaning back, "Our fathers would probably think better of us for it..."

~/~

Once the meat was done, they rigged up some giant skewers to carry between them as they flew. Many pairs of wild eyes watched the two leave with relief. For Trunks, it was kind of nice to have had the time alone, truly alone, with Gohan. No attendants, even though the brats weren't that bad, no family or guards to keep up appearances for.

If everything went well today, maybe the King would even be able to take a small respite like this from the royal life. Trunks was sure he could use the break. Even just the few hours they'd had made Trunks feel refreshed.

When they arrived back, they delivered the meat directly to the banquet hall for their waiting pack. This was the part where Trunks began to feel nervous. Not for his own part in the day, but for the execution of his father's plans. Saiyan meals were usually short affairs, since the food tended to run out quickly. Any time now, guests would begin leaving their homes to come and witness them tying their knots.

Within days of the announcement of their wedding, plans began springing up among the opposition. Bardock's sources kept them well informed every step of the way though. Trunks' inviting of the half breeds had indeed caused a stir, and the planned attacks revolved predictably around them. Katsu had actually been the one to inform Trunks in months past, that the half breeds had begun grouping their households close to one another.

Pack instinct at its finest. Trunks tried to keep in mind that it was likely their father's ideas, not their own though. Personally, he could see how large blocks of half breed families living around each other would present a larger target. Perhaps the support it provided outweighed the potential increase of violence. At least from their perspectives.

The average saiyan had no idea that the Purists were planning on destroying large numbers of homes today. With everyone out at the celebration, it gave them a perfect opportunity to cause mischief. Trunks just hoped the King's forces did their jobs well. They were, in theory, supposed to catch the bastards red handed but before any significant damage could be done.

It could start at any time now.

They couldn't see out the stained glass window at the end of the hall well enough, to tell if there was any smoke in the air. It didn't stop Trunks from glancing in its direction every once in a while though.

"Relax, it'll be ok" Gohan whispered and pressed a kiss to Trunks' temple. The prince smiled for him.

"What's that?" Toma asked from a few seats away, having already begun dipping into the free spirits provided by the crown today, "The brats are keeping secrets now" he said, giving them a contemplative look. Bardock chuckled from beside him, clapping him on the shoulder.

"From the way they smell, I doubt it's anything we really want to know about" he winked at Gohan.

Taking a casual bite, Gohan refused to acknowledge their teasing, which only made the laughter get louder.

"Speaking of smells" Bulma interjected, "The two of you better get off to the showers. I'm not letting you wear the fancy new armor I made for you if you're all dirty."

"We were going to anyway" Gohan nodded, nudging Trunks with his elbow. To Trunks, the showering had never been optional, no matter what they had smelled like upon returning. They quickly bolted down the rest of the food on their plates, and then excused themselves.

When they left, Toma and Kakarot were arm wrestling right over top of several plates of food. The King looked amused and was still eating. Bardock was watching less in the direction of the impromptu match, and more toward that of Toma's ass. Gohan knew his sire hadn't been drinking though, it was just the fact that it was eye level and _right there_...

Gohan hoped the rest of the day's atmosphere stayed as festive and light hearted.

~/~

Bulma came into their rooms and left the pieces for them while they were washing up. She had mentioned a while ago, making improved armor from this new compound she had invented. Neither of them had seen the items yet though. At the King's insistence, Trunks' armor was in the old style, even though it was made from the new material. The royal crest was born proudly on the front of it, and a thick cape of red and blue trailed behind him.

Even though Gohan's cape was still white on both sides, his armor managed to match Trunks' outfit. The upper part of it was the gleaming red of house Vegeta, and the lower a blue to match the back of Trunks' cape. Gohan loved it. The trim was even done in a gold that mimicked the circlet Trunks wore. He was proud to be the property of house Vegeta now.

As much as he was pleased with his own attire, Gohan loved Trunks' even more. His prince just looked so handsomely regal in it. His normal armor didn't have all the extras, like shoulder pieces or the golden brackets for the cape. Even the polished shine it was finished with made Trunks seem more commanding. Gohan was staring, and he knew it, but he didn't care. He was allowed to stare on his wedding day.

Trunks was happy with the attention, returning it just as much over Gohan's new look. It wasn't until they stepped out of their room though, that the prince's face lost its last layer of tension. Bardock was leaning against the wall next to their door, and as they stepped out, he gave a small nod.

"We got them" he spoke in a low voice. The glint in his eyes let Gohan know the operation had gone well.

"All of them?" Trunks asked, "Was there any collateral damage?"

"Nothing significant. Only one of the targets was a no-show, whether we accidentally scared him off, or he lost his nerve, we may never know. Over all though, it was a huge success. I just thought you'd like to know, so you can enjoy this properly" Bardock said, grasping Trunks' upper arm and giving a firm shake to his hand. He then repeated the gesture with Gohan.

"I've got a few things to take care of afterward because of all this, but I'll be able to stick around to see it" Bardock said with a nod in their direction, meaning the tying.

"Good, thanks, I, thank you" Gohan said, a little misty eyed from the emotion of the moment. His sire had never greeted him as a warrior, as an equal, like that before. Gohan knew on a certain level, he'd always be a 'brat' to him though.

"Yes, thank you, for everything" Trunks beamed. Bardock nodded again and then turned to leave ahead of them.

"Take good care of him" he said over his shoulder, but he didn't clarify which one of them he was talking to.

As Bardock strode down the hallways, he sighed mentally. The next thing he knew he'd be wanting to tie knots himself. Damn brats.

The throne room was the only place large enough to accommodate all the saiyans invited to see the ceremony first hand. The King was already seated, with Kakarot standing by his side, up on the dais. The murmuring of hushed conversations came to an end as soon as Trunks and Gohan entered. Thankfully a path had been kept clear from the doors to the base of the throne, even if it wasn't very wide.

Bulma was up near the spot they would do the actual tying, holding an ornately carved wooden box. Attendants were on hand to supply the other items they'd be using, but she insisted on handling that herself. As Gohan strode forward, he couldn't help but grin at the blue haired woman. She smiled back, looking extremely happy for them.

Both of them bowed in unison to the King upon reaching their marks. When they straightened, Gohan was handed the first length of rope, and Trunks the royal emblem of house Vegeta. Then each attendant stepped to the side as the two half breeds turned to face each other. Gohan's hands were surprisingly steady as he held the end of the rope for Trunks to hang the emblem on.

The pendant was a relief to feel suspended properly. Now came Bulma's part. Traditionally, a blood red marriage lily was hung on either side of the household crest. If the participants damaged the flowers in any way during the tying, it was taken as a bad omen.

She stepped forward and opened the lid of the box, tipping it down slightly to reveal it to the crowd. Several murmurings began floating around them as a pair of golden, almost glowing blooms were presented. Marriage lilies they were, but somehow, Bulma had managed to alter their color and give them a shine.

"For the first super saiyan wedding" she said with a twinkle in her eye. Trunks nodded and very delicately picked up the flower closest to him. He had a small, contemplative smile on his face while he strung it on the rope. Gohan was next, approaching his just as cautiously. After he had it threaded on, he looked up to his prince happily.

Trunks' eyes were laughing at Gohan's sense of accomplishment, and it was perfect. Bulma backed away and the next attendant came up, offering a segment for tying. As per tradition, Trunks went first in each aspect, being from the more powerful house. These bits of rope were slightly shorter than the first one, and there were fourteen of them. One for each moon in the year.

Taking turns, people of importance handed the strands of string to them one by one. Finally both Trunks and Gohan had each tied their seven, and ended up a good ways away from each other. They had to keep the rope suspended, with the pendant and lilies off the ground. Now came arguably the most difficult part in the ceremony. Well, for those lacking skill and refinement anyway.

Gohan and Trunks had to tie the ends together, to form one big circle. Carefully keeping the proper tension on the line, they made it back to within a few feet of each other. Each looped the rope over their wrist to hold the weight. Without much difficulty, they tied the last knot, one controlling each half, though it did take a minute. Gohan's hands felt like tiny tremors were running through them, but they didn't ever visibly shake.

Once it was tied, they pressed their foreheads one against the other. The rope went over both their heads, and then they grasped at the sections over their wrists, pulling. Crisscrossing loops were left between them, with the royal crest and golden lilies hung in their midst. Gohan's tail was wrapped snugly around his waist, but it wanted badly to wave behind him in happiness.

They were married now.

They had passed the test, and proven they possessed both self control and patience. Not exactly high standards for them personally, but it was what the rite demanded. They both stayed like that for a required period of time, to prove they stayed of their own free will. The rope itself was not important, just their display of teamwork in the binding. At least one knot had to be untied again to retrieve the royal emblem afterward.

Trunks returned it to the King, going to one knee in front of the throne to hand it to him. Vegeta accepted it with a gracious nod, and Trunks rose again, heading back to Gohan's side. He stole a glance at his mother, who looked tearful as she was placing the lilies back in the box. Trunks could barely believe Gohan was his husband now.

Feeling so happy, and overcome with emotion, Trunks put his hand on the back of Gohan's neck and kissed him. Relative quiet was supposed to be maintained for the ceremony, so the participants could concentrate. It was breached in that moment though. The whispering began again, but Trunks didn't care. Gohan kissed him back like there wasn't another soul in the room.

When Bulma noticed what they were doing after she had secured the box, she gave a laugh and started clapping. Slowly more and more began to follow hers, until it reverberated throughout the room.

All of the half breeds were clapping.

Some of the full blooded saiyans were giving them strange looks, but only a few. Cumin was outright frowning at Aaron in confusion, until Aaron reached over and grabbed his hands. He made Cumin clap his together a few times, giving him an encouraging nod. Soon all three of Trunks' attendants were clapping for their kiss, and Gohan blushed in the aftermath.

Suddenly the room went silent as the King stood. He made no comment on the break with tradition though. Instead, he raised an arm and commanded,

"Bring in the beer."

The normal roar that accompanied saiyan approval filled the hall, as did renewed clapping. Gohan and Trunks would have to wait if they wanted to consume any alcohol, but they hardly cared. Neither of them were fond of alcohol. They had politics to play now, and that required all their focus. The heads of each major line had to pay their respects to Trunks and his new husband right away.

It was sort of an unspoken rule that those elders present themselves sober as well.

Bardock was glad he didn't have to deal with any of that bullshit. In saiyan society, there were houses, and then there were lines. Multiple houses could claim the same line, but each house usually only claimed one. If your house was predominantly oriented towards endurance, you could mix and breed with one that specialized in dexterity. Each whelp would be sectioned off by which trait they favored most though.

Bardock's house was part of the same line that the royal house was, that of intelligence and battle smarts. Thankfully the King always lead his line, no matter how venerable it's other houses might become. Bardock really hadn't been kidding about having things to do after the ceremony.

Letting himself out one of the side doors, he made his way down hallways and stairwells, moving ever deeper into the palace. In the section he was heading to, there were no rugs or curtains, or even windows. Certainly not windows, to let in the moon.

Passing by the various guards without incident, Bardock threw open the door to a dimly lit cell. The rundown ambiance wasn't necessarily purposeful on the part of the powers that be. Things down here were only kept in as good of condition as monkeys could keep them, after all.

The sullen form lurking against the other wall didn't address Bardock. The prisoner was already wounded from resisting capture, and the cell stank of blood. Walking over as if in no hurry, Bardock took a hold of the hair on the back of the traitor's head.

"Where did you get it?" he asked calmly, pulling the face up to reveal swollen features. Eyes stared back at him with hatred, but said nothing. Bardock kneed him in the crotch, pretty hard, if he did say so himself.

"Where did you get it? Did someone pay you with it?" he asked again. The bastard spit in his face.

"Third class scum."

Bardock casually wiped the bloody saliva off himself, and then broke a couple of the prisoner's fingers in return.

"Where did you get it?" he demanded again over the howls, keeping his cool. More swearing erupted from the male he was questioning, but no answers. Bardock drug him to his feet and slammed him against the wall.

"Tell me where you got it or I'm going to rip off your tail and use it to polish my boots every morning, you fucking elite piece of shit" Bardock told him in a low, controlled growl. Of all the things that came from off world, this was one he wanted to be sure of before addressing with the King. It wouldn't do to raise a specter like that on mere rumor.

"You wouldn't dare, I'm the son-"

Strangled screams echoed through the passages outside as Bardock made good on his word. The guards set over that section made mental notes never to doubt the elder saiyan's follow through. As if they ever would have before...

Bardock came out of the cell holding a limp, brown tail. After he slammed the door behind him, he tossed the useless appendage. He had more efficient ways to clean his boots, even if it sounded good as part of the threat.

"Unless he says he's ready to answer my question, leave him in there and let him rot" Bardock ordered. The guards nodded and saluted,

"Yes, sir!"

He knew it was pointless to go any further with this one. A male who wouldn't talk after having his tail ripped off wasn't going to talk at all. Bardock's only other consideration in the matter would be to see if he talked once on the verge of starvation. Saiyans would do abnormal things on an empty stomach sometimes.

Heading down to the next cell, Bardock steeled himself. One of the other males that had been captured was found bearing similar coin. If it had been only one, Bardock would have dismissed it. He still might. The first prisoner's reluctance to talk could have been for unrelated reasons. He'd see how far he got with the second. If any more than two had been discovered with it, he would have gone straight to the King.

There were too many variables though, too much he needed to know before deciding to bother Vegeta with it on his son's day of marriage.

They had melted down every piece they could find years ago... That didn't mean some of the space demon's coin couldn't have survived here and there though.

As Bardock opened the next cell, he hoped with everything in him that it was just that some of it had survived here and there.


	10. Chapter 10 - Respite

Gohan had noticed something over the years. Actually, quite a few things, when it came to humans and the traits the half breeds had gotten from them. He wasn't sure that anyone else who didn't have day-to-day contact with the prince would have noticed it though. Trunks didn't _like_ to lie, but when he had to, he was far more convincing than the average saiyan.

Subterfuge was not something saiyans in general excelled at. Most were too hot tempered to even bother with it. Gohan had seen plenty try though, these days. The more control you had over yourself, the better you were at it. That was what he'd put together on the matter himself. The King was excellent at deceiving morons. He kind of had to be. Bulma was incredible at it too, when she wanted to be. She was also plagued with a sort of irrational genius that sometimes trumped everything else.

Trunks could purposefully make someone believe the opposite of what it _sounded_ like he was saying, as an art form. It may have stemmed from the fact that he was a sarcastic little shit. He certainly had a lot of experience with that. Gohan knew how to read him like a book, but very few others could lay claim to that.

It was good that he was so competent, after the ceremony. It took every ounce of willpower for Gohan to hold back when faced with males known to be Purists. He didn't know how Trunks did it, to just smile and exchange pleasantries like that. One would even have thought from his actions that he wanted to garner the favor of Paragus or of Bega. It couldn't have been farther from the truth though.

His hands were just as tied as the King's, but Gohan knew Trunks would like nothing more than to be able to make smears out of both of them. Especially after today. Thankfully the supporters of the program had taken the upper hand, even if Paragus didn't know that the prince knew. Just thinking about all of it make Gohan's blood pressure tick up a notch.

"Just a few more to go..." Trunks whispered in his ear. Gohan hadn't thought he'd been thinking that hard, to where it would affect his power. The prince did know how to read him just as well as he did the prince though.

"I can't wait until we're alone tonight" Gohan responded, putting a different spin on the implication of Trunk's words. It wasn't exactly a topic that would cool him down, but it would help keep him from glaring daggers at the sires known to be Purists. They had grouped themselves off to the side of the hall, and were decidedly _not_ mingling. They didn't have to worry about subtlety though, everyone knew what their views were.

"My mom said she has one more surprise for us, before the tournament starts. Then after the blood and gore is over we should be reasonably allowed to sneak away" Trunks grinned, continuing to whisper quietly.

"And how early can we _unreasonably_ sneak away?" Gohan asked, making Trunks chuckle. They had to end their banter due to the next party coming up to pay their respects. Gohan sighed mentally, and knew it was going to be a long tournament.

~/~

"Ok boys, close your eyes" Bulma said, having lead them out onto a balcony off the main hall.

"This better not be like the mirudian frog incident" Trunks said with a sigh, closing his eyes and crossing his arms.

"Aw, come on Trunks, that was for science. This is just a gift for the newlyweds" she winked. The wink was for Gohan, who had been more hesitant to close his. Bulma made a move-it-along gesture for him to hurry up, and the taller male finally relented.

"Now, hold out your hands. They won't bite, I promise" she said in a playful tone. Both males winced slightly when she said the word 'they', but did as instructed. Loving the anticlimactic resolution to their fears, Bulma dropped a capsule in each of their open palms.

"Don't open them here, but these are for you. A special present for my boy and his new husband. Welcome to the family, Gohan" she said with a confident nod in his direction.

"Thank you" Gohan bowed, feeling it was a more formal situation than usual, "What's in them?"

"Well, you'll find out soon enough. Trunks should open his first, and then when you get there, Gohan, you can open yours" she said cryptically. Movement from inside the hall caught her eye. "Prefect timing, here comes your father to see you off."

The 'your father' she meant was Kakarot, as the King was far too busy to leave his place of honor. As they followed Gohan's dad, they caught Vegeta's eye, and received a nod of acknowledgment. A few minutes later, they were standing in the field of launching pads that the palace kept for their own personal use.

"You know, I think the King and I are really going to enjoy having some peace and quiet around here for the next week" Kakarot said with a grin, clapping them both on the shoulders. Then he became more serious for a moment and turned to Gohan. "Remember your oaths" he gave as if a final admonishment.

"Always..." Gohan said, frowning. Kakarot nodded and then turned, leaving them there.

Watching him walk away, both half breeds were more than a little confused. They had been told they were being taken to a spot where they could open the capsules though. Or rather, just to open Trunks' at first. So they might as well. Pressing the button with a shrug of his shoulders, the prince tossed his out to see what it would reveal.

As the huge mound of smoke cleared, a space ship presented itself, gleaming and new, bearing the logo of Capsule Corp proudly over it's hull. A note was taped to the outside of it, and it flapped gently in the breeze. Trunks reached up and plucked the page off the landing gear. Gohan came up behind him and looked over his shoulder, since it was for both of them.

_To my boys,_

_Congratulations you two! My present to you is a taste of one of earth's finest traditions, a honeymoon!_ ＼(^o^)／_The ship is loaded up with everything you'll need for the week, so don't worry about a thing. Your father_ಠ_ಠ_and Bardock_(~_~メ) _wouldn't let me send you out of our solar system, but no worries. You can still have a super fun time a few planets away!_ ( ´ ▽ `)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧_I already programmed the autopilot to take you there and back after a week, so just climb on board and relax. And Gohan, don't forget to open your capsule when you get there!_

_Lots of love,_

_Bulma_ ✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:* \(◕‿◕✿)/ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧_Briefs_

"Why did she put little faces inside the text?" Gohan asked, his tail flicking in contemplation.

"Because...it's my mother, that's why" Trunks said, shaking his head. He folded up the paper with a smile though, and tucked it away.

"It sounds like we have the King's permission to go off planet for a while..." Gohan nuzzled the back of Trunks' hair.

"It certainly does... To the point that even if we really don't, we've close enough suppositions to feign ignorance" Trunks thought out loud.

"He did nod at us in the hall as we were leaving" Gohan added.

They both shared a look, and then got inside the space ship.

~/~

It was only a few hours' ride to the second planet over from them in the system. It contained life, just nothing intelligent enough to be a bother to them. Gohan studied the controls of the ship as they flew, just in case. They weren't that different from a saiyan pod. In fact, it seemed to be a meshing of human and saiyan technology. That was Bulma's specialty after all.

Trunks looked out one of the windows of the ship for a long time. Distant stars and systems moved in an awe inspiring dance. When they passed by the next planet out from vegeta-sei, Trunks accidentally bumped his nose against the glass, watching its rings go by. Not a moment later, he felt Gohan wrap his arms around him from behind.

"Into the wilds and into space each for the first time on the same day..." Gohan chuckled, feeling his few years in age over Trunks quite acutely at the moment.

"Don't forget being pinned down and fucked in a puddle of blood by my bond mate for the first time too..." Trunks said cockily, pulling Gohan's arms more snugly around him. He was willing to put up with a little teasing if Gohan was.

"You started it" was breathed back huskily into Trunks' ear.

"I wonder if they have anything worth hunting at our destination..." the prince smiled, feeling a pleasant heat run through him at Gohan's words.

"There's only one thing I'm interested in chasing this week" Gohan purred, sliding his hands up under Trunks' armor. The prince chuckled and matched Gohan's low tone.

"I wouldn't mind being chased a little."

~/~

When they finally landed, Trunks told Gohan to open his capsule right away. He wanted to get on with the other things he'd planned out in his head on the ride over. The ship had a very minimalist sleeping quarters, with thin looking beds, but it would have to do. He hoped they didn't break anything.

"I guess this is as good a spot as any" Gohan said, looking around. The ship had taken them down in the middle of a fairly flat open plain. He pressed the button on his capsule and then tossed it a few feet out. A cloud of smoke just as big as the one the ship had come from erupted in front of them. Only this time when it blew away, a house was left standing underneath it.

It also had a large Capsule Corp logo emblazoned across the side of it.

"Do you ever get the feeling sometimes that your mom has no concept of the idea of 'self restraint'?" Gohan asked.

"Oh, I'm sure she knows how to, she just doesn't feel it's necessary most of the time" Trunks chuckled, distracted by their new find. "Come on, let's take a look inside."

The capsule house was modestly furnished, with tons of food stored up in the kitchen and even some in the living room. They probably wouldn't be using that area anyway. The bedroom was both of their main concerns, and Trunks was glad to see it had a nice, soft bed. While Trunks was inspecting it, Gohan shoved his shoulder hard enough for him to tip over. Before Trunks could get out any witticisms, Gohan began removing his cape.

"Take off your armor" he said with more command in his voice than he normally used on the prince. The white protective gear slid up over lavender hair without comment. Trunks' tentative plans could definitely wait, seeing that look in Gohan's eye. He pulled off everything he could with slow, fluid motions, knowing Gohan liked that.

The prince's new husband undressed as well, but he was paying far less attention to his presentation. His focus was almost entirely on Trunks. It didn't take him as long to strip as it did his lover.

In all his naked glory, Trunks set aside his crown and lastly reached for one of his earrings. Keeping his gaze locked on Gohan's, he teased that he was about to remove it. That was enough to make Gohan spring into action.

"Leave them in" he said, another command, and closed the distance between them.

"Oh, ok..." Trunks nodded. A smile curved over his lips and heated light filled his eyes. Gohan put one arm around his waist and pulled their bodies close together. He breathed in Trunks' scent and splayed his fingers over the prince's neck. Gently, his thumb brushed over the piercing while he lowered his lips to Trunks'. Tails rubbed and swished over naked skin as their arousal rose.

"You're such a tease" Gohan whispered low and accusingly as he nudged Trunks back toward the bed.

"Me?" Trunks tried to look as innocent of the charges as possible.

"When was the last time you actually took them out?" Gohan asked, pulling Trunks into his lap as he sat on the bed. Trunks straddled him so they could continue flirting for as long as Gohan wanted.

"I don't know... Thirteen or so? So it's only been about five years" he said, as if that was hardly any time at all.

"And why did you stop taking them out?" Gohan leaned up and ran his lips over the ridge of Trunks' ear as he asked. The prince released a breathy sigh.

"Because I found out you liked them" he admitted. Gohan sucked on the skin of Trunks' lobe, drawing the base and part of the chain of the earring into his mouth, "And because I was trying to seduce you" Trunks couldn't help but add as a shiver ran through him. Even though his mouth hung mostly open, it still smiled at the edges.

"I know. It was working" Gohan admitted as well after releasing it. He gently ran his tongue over the area and brushed his fingers lightly down Trunks' back.

"What are the odds your mom packed us lube in this house too?" he asked, and gave Trunks' ass a squeeze.

"I'd say they're pretty fucking good" Trunks moaned, sounding frustrated though, knowing they'd have to stop briefly to find it. Gohan smiled, because he could see a tube sitting out on the dresser behind them. He knew how to tease when he wanted too. Firming up his hold on the prince, Gohan stood, carrying him around his waist for the few steps it took to reach it.

Even once he saw the lube, Trunks seemed to take the waiting as more of an real inconvenience than Gohan had intended. As soon as he sat back down on the bed, Trunks tried to push him over and speed things up. That was not what Gohan had in mind though.

"Easy there...you're in such a rush..." he murmured, not letting Trunks put him on his back. The prince frowned and kissed his lips in a manner meant to make Gohan give in. It wasn't going to be working quite like he intended this time though. Gohan let Trunks' passionate kissing wash over him as he spread the lube onto his fingers.

When the prince's lips pulled back to do some verbal persuading, Gohan slid his digits into him with a hungry look. All coherence was stolen from Trunks' words, as they became a slightly startled moaning instead. His mouth formed a pleased circle, and his eyes were lidded.

"I love the way they glitter and sway when you're on top" Gohan said huskily, "But I want to be the one inside you." He ran his free hand up to thumb over an earring again. "There's a way I can have both though" he spoke past Trunks' delicate groaning. Gohan pulled out his fingers, producing a whine from the loss of contact in his husband.

The prince certainly knew where Gohan was going with this. He reached down between them and took hold of his husband's large, pulsing erection. Lifting his hips, Trunks guided it to him. Gohan's hands gripped his ass tightly, and Trunks let his head fall back as his body was pulled down over the throbbing member.

Gohan put a hand on the back of Trunks' neck and brought him forward. Now that flicking his tongue over an earring was possible again, Gohan took full advantage of it. While Trunks adjusted, he lavished his neck and throat from ear to ear, raining licks and kisses and bites. The prince's hips started rocking over him of their own accord, and Gohan knew he was ready.

Each of his hands took a claiming hold of Trunks' ass, one over and one under each leg. It gave him more control that way. Trunks' eyes clouded even further as Gohan began moving him up and down over his shaft. It was slow and sweet and beautiful to hear each distinct moan, each intake of breath from his prince. Gohan knew he wouldn't get away with it forever though.

The muscles in Trunks' legs flexed and pulled, wanting more, _needing_ so much more. The battle they fought wasn't one of dominance though. All Trunks had to do was look pleadingly into Gohan's eyes and ask, "Please..."

The taller, stronger, more muscular male gave in and increased the pace to what it seemed Trunks' legs wanted. He didn't regret it. The close and personal feeling that he'd been enjoying didn't go away. In fact it got stronger. Trunks pressed their foreheads together and made little disbelieving noises as their lips hovered inches apart.

When Gohan felt Trunks' cum splash across his stomach, he took those lips for his own. That was a privilege he'd never stop exercising, to kiss the prince while he came. Trunks bit gently at Gohan's bottom lip, and that tipped Gohan over the edge as well. Both of their tails curled and lashed behind them since they didn't have easy access to each other's upper thighs like this. It was still incredibly intimate though.

Gohan had a feeling they'd make it up to their tails by the end of the week.

~/~

Sometimes Trunks had to wonder, if Gohan really knew all the ways that he drove him crazy. He had provoked Gohan plenty of times, but usually it was only because his bodyguard was showing far too much self control. Gohan did have to cut him a little slack though, since it was their honeymoon. It was somewhat of a shock to Trunks however, when one day Gohan turned the tables on him.

It started in the bedroom doorway. There had already been a vow made earlier, to wear no clothing of any kind for the rest of the week. So it wasn't surprising for Trunks to see Gohan leaning against the frame without a stitch on. He had a bowl of chocolate pudding in one hand and was eating casually.

His chosen method of consumption was swirling a finger in it and then sucking it clean. Trunks watched with rapt attention. Somewhere along the way it had been decided that eating in bed was fine, so that's where Trunks currently was. Gohan had gone to get them a snack, and this was how he chose to show back up.

Trunks watched his bond mate, lover, and husband, suck on his fingers while seductively swishing his tail.

"Is that a natural skill, or did someone teach you how to say 'fuck me hard' with just your body language?" Trunks was evaluating the situation, and getting ready to make his move.

Gohan smiled a slow, self confident smile, with his tail making little extra flicking motions at the end of every swish. Trunks brushed the covers aside. As he stood to retrieve his bodyguard, Gohan leaned into the other room and then turned out of sight. With a smirk, Trunks followed. He figured there must be some new location in the capsule house that Gohan had set his sights on having sex in.

"You can't just say, 'Hey, Trunks, let's have sex on the stairs again'?" he teased as he came into the hall. Gohan wasn't waiting for him though, he was already at the end of the corridor. And he still had his pudding. Another smear of the dessert passed through his lips as Gohan paused to enter the kitchen. He continued sucking nonchalantly, like he didn't even know Trunks was talking to him.

It was rather odd behavior for the older male. Tilting his head to the side, Trunks approached him, only to have Gohan step around the corner away from him again. Just before he lost sight of him though, Trunks caught a glimpse of the teasing heat in Gohan's eyes.

So he was being played with, hm?

Trunks also noticed Gohan's tail curl over the edge of the frame as he slipped away. It twisted and slid upward, getting smaller as he moved farther away, as if beckoning the prince.

This definitely deserved further investigation.

Trunks walked into the kitchen to find the mostly empty bowl of pudding sitting on the table. Gohan was, yet again, on the other side of the room.

"Are you having fun?" Trunks asked, crossing his arms as if pretending he was upset. He actually saw the grin on Gohan's face as he slipped away that time. Thinking to cut him off at the pass, Trunks doubled back, but Gohan wasn't in the hallway.

That's when he heard the front door open.

Trotting over quickly, the prince was struck by the image of his handsome, naked husband, standing tall on the threshold. Sunlight poured in, and a wind followed it, stirring Gohan's hair.

Wild things whispered in Trunks' ear, carried by that wind.

Gohan glanced once over his shoulder, to see if his lover still followed, and then broke into a run. A growl of excitement rose out of Trunks, and before he knew it he was off after him. How _dare_ he run away. He belonged to Trunks, didn't he know that? Once he caught Gohan, he would spend a long time re-teaching him that.

The terrain here was not as lush as vegeta-sei, but it hardly mattered. Trunks could have followed Gohan's scent anywhere. He didn't even need to rely on that too heavily, since he frequently caught glimpses of him. Part of him knew this was more game than real hunt, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.

Across the open area they had landed in, into a sparse forest, and over foothills strewn with boulders, Trunks chased Gohan. They darted from tree to tree and jumped around giant rock formations, all while in hot pursuit. Every now and then, Trunks could hear Gohan's laughter reach him, carried on that wind again.

Suddenly the prince put on a burst of speed, catching up to Gohan's teasing movement more quickly than expected. Instinct told Trunks to try hard, to be the one to have his lover this time, instead of be the one taken. He pounced from behind, tackling Gohan and using their momentum to ensure the larger male ended up on the bottom.

Before giving him any chance to fight back, Trunks bit the back of Gohan's neck as if he'd already won. His lover's chest still heaved with breath from their exertion, though the tension drained out of him immediately. Trunks kept holding on and biting, waiting to see if Gohan would try and fight it. Tentatively, the prince reached down and stroked his bodyguard's tail. The smooth motion seemed to send chills down Gohan's back.

Gohan relaxed the rest of the way beneath him, and began to purr. Trunks was so pleased he purred a little himself, but it descended rather quickly into a needy growl. He partially released the bite he had been holding, only to skim his teeth downward and bite again. Blood pounded through Trunks' veins, the chase, victory, and lust all coursing through him.

He began to grow hard while marking a trail of possession onto Gohan's back. By the time he was halfway down, he had his hands full of Gohan's ass, massaging and kneading it. Trunks wasn't so far gone that he lost sight of the importance of preparing his lover. He was immensely enjoying the feeling of having 'won' though.

His fingers slid inside Gohan at the same time he bit delicately on the skin just above his tail. It was a sensitive spot, and the prince's bond mate cried out from the double sensation.

"Trunks..." Gohan whined and whimpered afterward, getting used to the situation. Trunks sort of wished he could make him cum like this, but he wanted to be inside of him when that happened. A surge of dominance demanded it. He would bring this method up again another time...

"Turn over, I want to see your face" the prince ordered, stroking himself in anticipation.

Gohan obeyed right away, and was incredibly glad he had 'let' himself be captured.

A breeze played over both their skin, and caught Trunks' hair. The little shake of his head that he gave to clear it behind him was probably entirely subconscious. Gohan thought it was beautiful. His prince's eyes glowed with the passion of the moment, drawing Gohan's attention like a moth to the flame. Trunks was doing that half purring, half growling thing again, and it sent goosebumps racing over Gohan's skin.

He wished there was some way he could make Trunks take him already. Then he remembered there was. Spreading his legs submissively, Gohan bared his neck as well, sending every signal he could to his lover that he was ready. Trunks reacted by leaning down over him, rubbing at his entrance.

"Who do you belong to, Gohan son of Kakarot?"

"To you, my prince" Gohan purred, loving the brush of Trunks' lips over his neck as he spoke.

Trunks chuckled.

"I really am _your_ prince, aren't I?" he teased, knowing that wasn't what Gohan had meant to imply, "It's ok, I'm alright with that," he pushed forward with his hips, finally entering Gohan, "As long as we belong to each other."

Gohan nodded, his hands running up and down Trunks' sides as he purred gratefully in return. Trunks fisted his hand into the older male's hair, and pulled his head back flush with the ground.

"Now, no more talking while I enjoy my catch" he said in a commanding tone. The prince bit his way across Gohan's exposed collarbone, nearly giving the other male a fit.

Since he couldn't 'talk', Gohan's breathing came out as impatient huffs, wanting to know why no movement was happening yet.

"Mmm, you want it bad, don't you?" Trunks cooed, rocking his hips a little.

Gohan moaned in what he hoped was an affirmative manner, trying to look as needy as possible. It must have worked, because Trunks smiled at him as if thoroughly pleased. Perhaps Gohan should make a point to get caught more often...

Trunks' hips pulled back, finally giving him the friction he'd been begging for. More was added, and began compounding as thrust after thrust filled Gohan. It just felt right to him, to have his prince claim him. Sometimes Gohan felt as though Trunks let him get away with too much, displaying as much dominance as he did in bed.

Trunks was certainly very good at being in charge. Gohan felt like he was going to dissolve under that deep, rumbling growl. It vibrated in his bones as Trunks pumped in and out of him, driving him crazy. Digging his nails into Trunks' back as he held on, Gohan was pretty sure he was drawing blood. Not that either of them thought that was a bad thing.

The prince wrapped his tail possessively around Gohan's thigh while he fucked him hard. His loyal bodyguard immediately returned the favor. A keening whine began to build in his dark haired lover's throat. Trunks put everything he had into making that whine grow louder and louder, biting the side of Gohan's neck passionately.

Nails raked down his back as Gohan shouted and came. Trunks' eyes nearly rolled back in his head at how good it all felt. The taste of blood in his mouth grounded him though. His own orgasm was well earned and forceful, leaving nothing left in him. They panted and clung to each other there on the floor of a wild forest, neither wanting to spoil things with 'words'.

Some kissing and licking of love-wounds later, they managed to make their way back to the capsule house before darkness fell.


	11. Chapter 11 - Generational Divide

Gohan hadn't realized he'd come to think of his home as being inhospitable at all, until they were flying back to it through space. His feeling was actually one of relief, that things wouldn't be so bad now. The Purists had been dealt with decisively. From here on out, they would have to just accept the program and live with it. The King had sent a strong signal that their sedition wouldn't be put up with.

When they finally landed, a small delegation was there to greet them. It was night on vegeta-sei though, so they were let go to bed after proving to the King that they had actually returned.

"I wonder if the King ever tried to make a run for it..." Gohan mused quietly into Trunks' ear as they entered their own rooms.

"If he did, he'd never admit it... If anyone knows the truth, it's probably your sire" Trunks grinned.

"Maybe I'll ask him about it someday" Gohan chuckled, but they both knew he'd do no such thing. Bardock wouldn't think kindly of them entertaining such foolish lines of thought like that.

In the darkness of the sitting room, a small saiyan shape stirred on the couch. Well, its tail moved, and it smelled like Katsu, so they assumed it was saiyan. Trunks raised an eyebrow and Gohan moved closer, verifying it was indeed their youngest attendant.

With a sigh, Trunks quietly opened the door to what was supposed to be the shared room for all three of them. Inside, Aaron and Cumin were curled up on the bed, wrapped nakedly around each other and fast asleep. Cumin was purring lightly in his sleep, and the room reeked of sex. Trunks heard Gohan sigh behind him too. With a shake of his head, he shut the door again, leaving them be for now.

Gohan took out one of his extra capes and draped it over the sleeping brat on the couch.

"We should bond them in the morning" Trunks commented quietly, watching Gohan's kindness.

"I'm not sure we have the authority to just make that decision..." Gohan looked up at him in the middle of his motion.

"Well, maybe you don't, but I do" Trunks said softly. Gohan blushed a little, and returned to Trunks' side.

"Of course, I didn't mean it like that..."

"They want to be" a small voice dared quietly from the couch. Both adults turned to look at the not so sleeping brat. Reflective eyes peered from over the edge of the cape, and Gohan had a small flashback right before Katsu sat up.

"I've heard them talking... Oh, sorry I pretended to be asleep, your highness. I just didn't know if you'd be mad" Katsu looked down submissively.

"It's ok, go on" Trunks allowed, though he still kept his voice low, "What did you hear?"

"Well, I came in and they were kissing, you know, so I stayed back because Aaron gets mad if I come in while they're doing that... Anyway, they were asking each other if either had a candidate for bond mate yet, and they both said 'no'. Actually, Aaron said 'no', but Cumin said 'no, not before this anyway', and then they started kissing again... That was a couple days ago now" Katsu shrugged his shoulders as if it couldn't be helped.

"And how long have you been sleeping on the couch?" Trunks asked next, quite amused.

"All week" Katsu sighed a little.

"I'll have a talk with them in the morning" Trunks assured him with a firm nod. Katsu seemed quite pleased about that, and curled up on the couch again after the questioning was done.

Gohan would have invited him to sleep in their bed, but he knew there was a good chance he'd only get kicked out again. So it seemed rude on top of a bit pointless. Katsu looked comfortable enough with the cape and some spare pillows, so Gohan didn't let it bother him too much.

~/~

The next morning, Gohan woke early and sent Katsu to run and fetch a cloth. Trunks already had a dagger that would do. It was less embellished than the King's, but that was probably closer to tradition anyway.

There were council sessions today, so there was no point in trying to track down Cumin's father. He would already be busy. Plus, Gohan got the feeling Trunks was kind of enjoying getting the drop on the brats. Especially after what they'd done in peeping on them before.

As soon as Katsu returned, Trunks gave one short rap on the door before opening it right away. Just enough for reflexes to cover things if necessary. And it had been. Both Aaron and Cumin were scrambling to pull up the sheet the rest of the way when the prince entered.

From the looks on their faces, they knew exactly how busted they were. Instead of a scolding though, Trunks let Gohan and Katsu in behind him. A bonding needed witnesses after all.

"Here, put these on" Gohan tossed their discarded training suits up to them, "It'll be a lot easier now than if you wait until afterward."

It was only then that the two of them seemed to notice the implements in Trunks' hands. Gohan could almost _hear_ both their pulses quicken, then they shimmied into their clothes under the sheet. Their eyes were a little wide when they came out again, though neither said anything against what was happening.

"You can just kneel on the edge here, we don't need to make it anymore complicated than necessary" Trunks indicated, waving at the foot of the bed with the dagger. Aaron nodded first, but Cumin complied right away. They both waited patiently, facing each other, as Trunks spoke.

"Does your house have any words?" he asked Cumin first.

"Just 'steadfast'" Cumin said solemnly. Trunks nodded in acknowledgment.

"Does your house have any words?" he asked Aaron next, who was already blushing.

"If we do, my father never told them to me" he admitted, obviously embarrassed to be unprepared. Trunks nodded again.

"My father is a rather straightforward male at times... No words at all were spoken during my bonding" he informed the two of them softly. "The words of a house only matter if it's members bear them out anyway. Your bond is what you make it. Now, grasp the blade" Trunks instructed them. He was damn near eloquent, compared to the King, Gohan thought. If he remembered correctly, his and the prince's had mostly involved Vegeta being gruff and insulting... The memory brought a smile to Gohan's face as he watched this bonding.

Aaron and Cumin both looked to the blade Trunks held between them, and then back to each other. Then the next moment they were both grasping it firmly between their palms. The prince had a small, approving smile on his face as he yanked sharply down on it. Aaron drew in a sharp breath, and Cumin intertwined their fingers right away. Trunks cleaned their blood off the metal and then bound their palms together in the old manner.

"I hope you two find some way to make this up to Katsu" Trunks admonished them, "Not only has he been sleeping on the couch all week, but now he'll have to pick up your slack this morning." Custom also dictated a bit of teasing for the time off they'd spend while tied together, but Trunks didn't take it overboard.

Both newly bound brats looked to Katsu with apologetic gazes.

"Sorry, Katsu" Aaron gave him a sheepish smile.

"Yeah, sorry" Cumin chimed in as well.

"Eh, it's ok, you guys can just owe me one" Katsu said with a wink. There was a tone in his voice that said he wouldn't be forgetting the favor any time soon. Gohan had a feeling that Katsu would grow up to be the sort of male that a lot of others seemed to always 'owe favors' to...

Clearing his head with a shake, Gohan clapped both teens on the back in congratulations. He made sure to herd Katsu from the room with them when he and Trunks left, so the brats would have their time truly alone.

~/~

"It's hard to believe we've been bonded five years now" Gohan commented after their lone attendant had finished dressing the prince. Trunks turned to him with a swirl of his cape.

"I'm the same age now that you were then... How in the light of the moon did you ever resist me?" he teased.

"Sheer force of will...and your father's threats" Gohan admitted, giving him a smile.

"When did my father ever _threaten_ you?" Trunks asked in a lilt, going over to straddle his bodyguard's lap.

"It was implied" Gohan practically snorted, sliding his hands over Trunks' ass.

"You know what I find hard to believe?" Trunks purred, "That I obeyed him..." The prince leaned in to kiss his bond mate. Gohan couldn't help it, he laughed, loudly and with a little disbelief in his voice.

"How was you trying to seduce me almost every night being 'obedient'?" he pointed out to his slightly disgruntled prince.

Trunks' back straightened, and he tilted Gohan's chin up to look him in the eye.

"I only 'tried seducing' you because you seemed to like the messing around. If I'd not cared for my father's words, I would have just taken you. I already knew you well enough then, to know you wouldn't stop me if I demanded it" Trunks said in an almost disaffected tone, tracing the outline of Gohan's jaw.

Looking up into those piercing blue eyes, Gohan's heart skipped a beat when he realized that Trunks was right. If his prince had been truly _adamant_, he'd have obeyed willingly, and dealt with the consequences as best he could later.

Trunks could read the enlightenment in Gohan's face as plain as day. He leaned down to whisper one last set of words to him.

"There are all different kinds of submission, my love. Don't worry over how often I choose to give you the sexual kind. I already know I have the kind from you that truly counts."

~/~

In the year following Gohan's marriage to the prince, life seemed to finally settle down for Toma and Bardock. It was a long time coming. Their presence wasn't in constant demand at the palace. Word had died down on the street after the purging of Purists during their attempted 'statement'. All in all, it made Toma kind of maybe start to feel old, just a little. Only because of the lack of adventure, no other reasons.

Of course, he should have known something was up the one day he actually slept in, and Bardock _let him_. Toma could barely believe he was reading the clock right when he sat up groggily at mid-morning.

"What the hell are you doing letting me sleep this late? Shit, my routine is going to be all screwed up today..." Toma first shouted and then mumbled, making his way to the restroom to relieve himself. When he came back out, Bardock hadn't answered him or come to give him a hard time yet. Hn. With a frown, Toma sought out his bond mate's ki.

He was in the hallway?...

Toma wasn't an expert at this ki sensing stuff, but even he could tell Bardock's was jumping around erratically. Pushing open the bedroom door, he found the male sprawled out on the floor not too far away. Checking over him quickly, he found Bardock's eyes open, but his gaze was not of this world. He still held the handles of two coffee mugs, one in each hand, but his arms were limp. There were dark splotches on the floor where their contents had spilled.

The stains were already cold.

Toma knew better, from the last time this had happened, than to try and 'make' him snap out of it. He picked up the male, moving him to the bed, and the coffee cups rolled out of his hands as Toma did so. They were the least of his concerns right now though.

Scanners were quite out of date these days, and people close to Bulma had better ways of communicating. Toma dug the little ear bud out of a drawer where it had been tossed the last time they used it. Normally Bardock was the one bothering to contact the palace, but Toma had a basic knowledge of how to work the thing. Very basic.

"Hello? Bulma?" Toma waited a few seconds before trying to fiddle with it again. Bardock could be 'out' for hours more yet, so there was no real hurry. Right now he was just staring at the ceiling. Reaching over, Toma took his bond mate's hand, rubbing his thumb over the faint scar on his palm.

"Hello? Who is this?" an earthly voice finally answered him.

"Bulma? It's Toma, Bardock's bond mate" he began, suddenly not sure how much to say. It was really the King he needed to talk to.

"Yes, Toma, I do know who you are... Is something wrong?" Bulma was immediately on guard. For one, Toma never called her, and two, he sounded a bit shaken.

"I need to talk to the King" he said, seeming to find his resolve.

"I see your comm link isn't in secure mode, are you sure about that?" she asked.

"I _do_ need to speak to him... I'm not sure how to work this thing, really" he admitted. Feeling a bit frustrated, he rubbed his forehead. Suddenly something from the old days swam up from the recess of his mind.

"Tell the King to have Raditz call his father" Toma said suddenly.

"What? Are you feeling ok?" Bulma sounded even more concerned now, "Raditz hasn't been-"

"Just tell the King" Toma interrupted her, speaking clearly yet forcefully, "Tell him to have Raditz call his father." He was getting frustrated, but knew it wasn't Bulma's fault. If he got mad at her, he'd end up paying for it later. "I'm hanging up now" he said evenly, "Goodbye." There, hopefully that would pacify her... Taking off the tiny earpiece, Toma set it aside and checked on Bardock again.

There was no change.

With a sigh, he got up to make some fresh coffee. Damn stuff was addicting. On his way back and forth, he threw some rags over the spill in the hallway. Good enough for now. He knew it would be better if he was right there when Bardock came out of it. His visions were understandably disorienting.

~/~

If it had been anyone of less importance, Bulma wouldn't have stopped working on her project. She still slightly resented playing messenger girl, but she was curious too. Everyone knew that Kakarot's brother Raditz was killed along with Vegeta's mother and brother. He had tried to defend them from an attack by Cooler's forces, but the boy had only been twelve at the time... Toma would hardly forget that. It had to be some sort of code.

Marching right up to the King's study, Bulma knew this was where he preferred to deal with his smaller appointments. A guard stopped her with his arm over the door.

"I'm sorry ma'am, the council on economic advancement is meeting right now" he said in a low voice.

"Vegeta! Call off your goons or I'll blast a hole right through this door!" she yelled, flipping her hair up at the guard. She could almost hear the mumbled curses under the King's breath.

"God damn it woman! We're in a meeting!" the King yelled back without getting up. Unfortunately, the council couldn't say this was an abnormal occurrence.

"Then send out Kakarot! I think there's something wrong with Toma!" she shouted, but held back the exact phasing he'd told her to use.

The King was rubbing his temple and telling himself that at least his life was never truly boring, when her words reached them. His head snapped up, looking almost _through_ the door at her, and Kakarot stood without waiting for the order.

Suddenly the door ripped itself open in front of Bulma, and Kakarot was there frowning at her. She thought she kept her composure well, considering the suddenness of it.

"He called me, and wanted me to talk to the King. He was having a hard time with the comm link" she explained, looking Kakarot in the eye and willing him to grant her access. His nostrils flared, and an uneasy look flitted over his face. Then he turned behind him and gave a nod to Vegeta.

"Everyone out" the King ordered tersely, standing himself. He motioned Kakarot to bring Bulma over as he moved into a more private room off to the side of the study. Council members filed out quickly as Bulma followed the King's bodyguard.

"Alright, what's going on here?" Vegeta demanded immediately, as soon as the door was shut behind them. This room was much more sound proof than the regular meeting place.

"Well, I have no idea. I was actually hoping you could tell me" Bulma said haughtily. "I got a call from Toma on an unsecured channel a few minutes ago. He wanted to speak to you, but I don't think he knew how to work the comm link properly. If it had been a secure transmission, I would have just transferred him right to you" she said.

"Bardock's ki is erratic, speed this up" Kakarot said in a low tone. Bulma looked up at him, surprised.

"It is? Well, Toma didn't seem sure what to do, and then suddenly he just told me to tell the King to have Raditz call his father..." Bulma looked intently from one to the other of them, trying to gauge the effect the words had. She needn't have tried very hard.

The blood drained from both their faces. Kakarot looked shocked and almost angry. The King looked like he was going to be sick. The moment passed quickly though, and the King drew in a breath.

"Kakarot" he said a little more loudly than he needed to, breaking the younger male's reverie, "Take a ship. Go get them and bring them back here."

With a nod, Kakarot turned on his heel and left the room.

"Vegeta-" Bulma began, dozens of questions racing through her mind.

"Trunks is sparing with Gohan in the main chamber, go shut it down, and take them to your lab. If either of them are hurt, put them in the tanks there, not the palace's common ones" Vegeta ordered.

"What's going on Vegeta? What's wrong?" Bulma demanded to know.

"I don't know yet, but it probably won't be small" Vegeta said quietly. His mind ran through scenario after scenario, but there were too many unknowns for now. Bulma crossed her arms over her chest, indicating she wasn't going anywhere without more information.

"When my father was still King, before the Ruse, we didn't have the same kind of technology" he began. Of course Bulma knew that though... She was the one who had provided most of the tech they currently used. "What I mean is, when Bardock and my father first began to organize the Ruse, to plot against the Planet Trade Organization, it was all word of mouth and code phrases. Certain events were important enough that they needed to be conveyed right away, no matter what company you were in. Being told to have Raditz call his father was the code that Bardock had seen another vision" Vegeta explained concisely.

"But, what if Raditz wasn't with you at the time, wouldn't that have seemed odd?" Bulma wondered. As intelligent as Bardock was, it seemed like he would have come up with something better than that.

Vegeta's eyes flicked to the door, and then away again.

"Raditz was supposed to have been my bond mate...so yes, we were very nearly always together" he said softly. "I was too young though..." He shrugged his shoulders, trying to roll the past off of them. When he looked up, he hadn't noticed Bulma move toward him. She did one of those human affectionate things, putting her hand on his cheek. He couldn't say he really minded though.

"So something really bad is coming..." she said quietly, as if steeling her own nerve.

"Yes. Most likely. And you would be safest with our son, in your lab" he indicated.

"Sure. I'll just say we're doing a dangerous experiment, shields up and all that" she said with a mock flippancy. Vegeta nodded curtly, finally pulling away from her hand. Bulma knew it was all she was going to get, and let it be. Taking a deep breath, she left the room, going over various crisis plans in her head as she went. Like Vegeta though, there was only so much she could do, or be seen doing, until they knew what was going on.

The boys were surprised, to say the least, when she used her special override code to shut down their training session. Thankfully Trunks was a smart kid, and they knew how to read each other well. She would have to consider expanding it to an actual code as well after this.

Not wanting to get them worked up just yet, she decided to keep them in the dark as to the importance of their 'help' with her experiment. Bardock would have real answers for them all soon enough.

~/~

Kings didn't pace. Kakarot was doing plenty of it for the both of them though. Vegeta knew the lack of information was making them both uneasy. Bardock hadn't woken on the ride over, so Kakarot and Toma had moved him discreetly to the King's chambers.

"Come and get me right away, once he wakes" Vegeta ordered them. He and Kakarot had slipped away to check on him, but the King had other things he had to attend to. It was best to act as normal as possible until they knew what kind of threat they were up against.

Bardock's visions were almost always about threats, in one way or another.

Sometimes he saw the means to nullifying those threats within his visions. Sometimes they just had to do their best on their own. Vegeta knew Toma wouldn't leave his side, so it was best if Kakarot stayed. There was no one else he could trust with things of this magnitude. The brats... Well, the brats were hardly brats anymore, but that didn't make them adults.

Gohan was close, being older, but really both of them were borderline. The King still caught them flirting like cubs after they sparred half the time. Though, he couldn't say he was completely guilt free in that area either... It was best not to test them on something that could be race or planet ending though, was the decision Vegeta finally came to.

~/~

When Bardock finally stirred, Toma made sure he was the first thing the male saw. The grizzled veteran's hands clenched and unclenched, probably missing his coffee mugs. Toma took hold of them, one more grounding measure. There was plenty of light in the room, so his bond mate could see where he was. Toma knew the different surroundings might make him leery of this being reality at first.

"So, was this one a 'Kakarot needs to start off the program' sort of vision, or more like a 'the planet's going to be blown away', kind of thing?" Toma asked quietly as Bardock sat up.

"Shit" Bardock blinked as he looked around, focusing back on Toma in front of him. His face was pale and he was frowning already. Toma was beginning to think he already had his answer.

"Broly's a super saiyan" Bardock swayed a little even as he sat, the effects of his vision not having worn off completely. "We're in a lot of fucking trouble" he said, letting go of his bond mate's hands and rubbing his face.

"Even with one against four?" Toma said in disbelief. The look Bardock gave him said he could hardly believe it either.

"He... It was like nothing I've ever seen before. He killed Kakarot out of hand" Bardock's eyes closed as he called up as much detail from the important scene as he could. "The prince was already down, though maybe not dead...yet... It all happened so fast... Broly stormed in, and they only fought for a few moments before Kakarot fell. Fuck. He's always been the strongest, if he dies..."

"Then there won't be anyone to stop Broly from killing the King" Toma finished softly. Bardock nodded in agreement. There were other pieces of his vision, things to do with the Purists and Paragus, but Broly's strength was paramount.

Leaning over, Toma rested their foreheads together.

"I'll let you think. You'll have a few minutes before the King gets here, but I have to send Kakarot for him now" he let Bardock know.

"Thanks" Bardock gave him a tired smile, but it fell quickly from his face. Toma left him on the bed and headed a little slowly to the door. Cracking it open, he saw that Kakarot was still alone on the other side. The brat's pacing had been wearing him out, so Toma had sent him from the bedroom long ago.

"Go get Vegeta now, he's awake" he instructed after stepping through and closing the door behind him.

"Is it bad?"

Toma was suddenly hit with a wave of emotion, though he tried to hide it. Kakarot's frown deepened, and he didn't ask anymore questions. As Bardock's youngest hurried off, Toma sat down hard in a nearby chair. To lose this son too would be a huge blow to his bond mate... And if Gohan wasn't in the room during the battle, then that probably meant Broly had already killed him as well.

Toma guessed it was a good thing for the planet and their race, that Bardock's line was so entwined with it's fate. The things he saw always revolved around the fate of his own house. It was probably one of the smartest things the house of Vegeta had ever done, to bind itself so closely to his. Bardock had already proven that if you could see your fate, you could change it.

The door burst back open a few minutes later. The King only glanced at Toma sitting off to the side, before entering the bedroom. It was his own bedchamber, after all. Getting up, Toma followed them back in, hoping Bardock had enough time in these few moments to gather his thoughts. For some strange reason, Kings always demanded solutions right away.

Unfortunately for Bardock, and all of them, he had very few answers for Vegeta's questions. There was nothing in his seeings to indicate how much time they might have, when this coup would take place. He didn't know if Broly was already a super saiyan right now, and a preemptive strike would be futile. He had no idea what to do about any of it.

"Paragus won't be put off by the same tactics we used with Frieza, this is a whole different game" Bardock insisted. "He was there in the background, right after Broly killed Kakarot. Probably hiding out of sight like a coward in the thick of things, waiting to show himself..." he muttered. The King's back stiffened slightly, but he did have to acknowledge that if Kakarot died, it was all downhill from there. Even if it was only admitted to himself.

"Could we try and capture Paragus? Use him against Broly?" the King asked, examining the diagram he'd insisted Bardock draw. They had been at it for a few hours already.

"I doubt it. Broly's not _just_ strong, he's fast too. He bested Kakarot. Who's going to be able to get past _that_ to capture Paragus?" Bardock pointed out. Kakarot himself had taken all of this in with a rather matter of fact attitude. He confessed after Bardock gave his initial account, that he had been having vague dreams of dying, but didn't think it had meant anything.

"It sounds to me like, at this point, we don't have any choice but to do the same thing we did last time" Kakarot spoke up, "Train like mad and hope it's enough."

Bardock didn't look pleased at all with that being their only option. He couldn't argue though. Unless more came to him, there was a frightening lack of anything concrete for him to latch onto about this future. For all he knew, it could happen tomorrow.

"It's better than nothing" the King said with a sigh, "At least we'll have our guard up, at least we know what's coming."

Barring a stroke of genius, like he'd had with the healing tank use to try and achieve super saiyan, Bardock hoped that luck was on their side. They were going to need it...

~/~

Gohan could smell blood as soon as the fluid drained. Blood, and burning things. An explosion rocked the palace, and he began to run. The liquid from the healing tank streamed behind him as it dripped from his training suit. Gohan knew what fully healed felt like, and this wasn't it. Someone had taken him out early, but he didn't know who. It didn't matter.

All that mattered was getting to Trunks.

Every other corner he turned was filled with fighting, and those without any fighting were littered with bodies. None of them were Trunks though, thankfully. Gohan continued to race toward his prince's ki, but it was so faint. He wanted to cry, but wouldn't allow himself the luxury. Bursting into the throne room, Gohan nearly tripped over his own father's body. That's all it was anymore. A body.

He could see Trunks' crumpled form laying off to the side, not super saiyan, but not dead yet. Even as important to him as the prince was, his gaze over him was fleeting. The spectacle in the middle of the hall was one nobody could have refrained from looking at.

"Maybe now you wish you'd given me the proper respect. Hmm? _Your_ _majesty_?" Paragus gloated. Vegeta could hardly have answered him with the giant hand around his throat though. A massive hulk of a male glowed with super saiyan power beside Paragus. Broly. It had to be the male's son. Broly held the King like a rag doll, and even though Gohan powered up, they paid him no mind.

"Rip off his head" Paragus ordered with a gleeful vengeance.

That same instant, Gohan charged.

He wasn't fast enough though. Blood sprayed over the carpet as Vegeta's head rolled across it. Like a magnet, Gohan couldn't take his eyes off it's resting spot. The body it hit, stopping it's motion, was Bardock's. Things inside Gohan were coming undone, and he knew in that moment he'd finally drawn Broly's attention. He couldn't look away though, couldn't move. The edges of his vision began to go blurry, and his first assumption was that he was dying now too.

But then he heard Trunks' voice calling to him. Broly's face filled what was left of his sight, but Trunks' voice kept getting louder. Suddenly, everything burst, and Gohan bolted upright in bed. Trunks was kneeling beside him, looking concerned enough to border on fearful.

"Gohan, hey, are you ok? Are you awake now?" the prince asked, his hands still on Gohan's shoulders. Breathing heavily, Gohan pulled Trunks into his lap and held on tightly to him, orienting himself again. It was just a dream.

"Shhhh, shhhh" Trunks rubbed Gohan's back even though he was technically being the one held right now. "I couldn't wake you..." he said, his voice laced with uncertainty.

"I... I was having a nightmare" Gohan's voice was a bit shaky as well.

"You've never had anything like that happen before. I was shaking you _hard_, Gohan, and you wouldn't wake up" Trunks looked up into his husband's face. Even in the low light of the early morning, he could tell his eyes were dilated and his face pale.

"You were? I didn't feel anything..." Gohan seemed a bit distracted.

"What was your dream about?" Trunks asked him. Gohan looked away, almost as if guilty.

"...Everyone, died. I..." his voice fell away though, and he didn't go on. The prince was beginning to be more than a little worried.

"I think we should tell Bardock" Trunks suggested softly, "He's unexpectedly here at the palace right now anyway, we might as well take advantage of his advice."

"I don't know, it was just a dream" Gohan didn't like the idea of bothering his sire with something as trivial as a silly nightmare. He'd been in a bad mood yesterday too. Plus, saying aloud that it was just a dream felt like it helped make it true.

"You've always been a light sleeper, Gohan. What if it was more than _just_ a dream? I mean, I was kind of freaking out. Your ki was all over the place, and I _couldn't_ wake you..." Trunks was adamant.

"Alright, if you think it's best, my prince" Gohan didn't want to argue, he just wanted to hold him. Hugging Trunks close again, they stayed like that for a while, which only firmed the prince's resolve. Finally they had to get up and get ready for the day, and Trunks insisted they bring it up first thing.

"Ok, ok, as soon as we walk into breakfast, I'll announce to everyone that I had a bad dream" Gohan huffed. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized he sounded like a whining cub. He stopped, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Then he felt Trunks' hand on his cheek, and opened them again.

"Did I die in your dream? Is that what's wrong?" he asked gently.

"No... Well, maybe... Everyone else had, I mean, Broly was a super saiyan, and he had killed them all, but you were on the floor unconscious I think" Gohan began to tear up, and hastily wiped the moisture from his eyes.

"Broly did?..." Trunks kissed Gohan as his face dried. "You didn't fail then. Your job is to protect me, no one else" Trunks reminded him.

"I think I would have, if you hadn't woken me first. I mean failed... It was just so surreal..." Gohan admitted, running his hands through his hair.

"It was just a dream" Trunks whispered back in a comforting tone. Gohan frowned.

"You don't believe that" he accused.

"Neither do you, Gohan, or else you wouldn't be so upset..." Trunks replied. Gohan couldn't say anything to that.

"Come on, if there's anything my house has learned over the years, it's that it's best to face the future head on" Trunks pulled on Gohan's hand, holding it tightly as they made their way to breakfast.

~/~

The atmosphere of the room matched Gohan's mood perfectly when they entered. No explanation had been given for Bardock's sudden appearance yesterday. Now Gohan was beginning to wonder if everyone's faces were so sullen for a reason... Politics began to swirl in his head.

Their whole reason for going to Bardock was because the potential for this dream being more than a dream came down from _him_. But as such, wasn't it possible that he had received warning through his own gift? Surely he would have told the King right away if so... If the King already knew, then he wouldn't take kindly to Gohan showing favoritism to his sire over the throne. The favoritism of running it by him first...

He would look pretentious, bordering on foolish, though, to simply go straight to the King without trying to validate his experience. Which meant Gohan's best option was really to address them both at once. Situations where the King and Bardock were together, that Gohan would have the authority to interrupt, were few and far between. Aside from this one, of course. Well, apparently that made his decision for him.

Gohan would have to broach the entirely of the subject in front of their whole family, rather than just signal Bardock that he needed to talk afterward...

"Your majesty, sire" Gohan started, looking each of them in the eye, "I think we need to talk...about a dream I had..." He rather hoped one of them would latch on to his meaning without dismissing him first. On the other hand, that would make his previous supposition about the mood of the room true. He wasn't sure that was a preferable outcome.

"Dreams of dying?" Kakarot put down his bite, and was looking at him intently.

"Something like that" Gohan sighed, feeling as if a weight left his shoulders, but was immediately replaced with a larger one.

"How long have they been happening?" The King asked him next. Bardock remained quiet for the moment, studying him.

"It was just one, last night, or rather, a little while ago" Gohan felt pieces of it flashing against his memory even right now. He took a steadying breath, and ran his hands over his face, up into his hair.

"I couldn't wake him from it" Trunks added softly. The room was dead quiet, so there was no chance of the comment being lost. Toma looked up and caught the prince's eye, and the two of them shared a brief moment before Bardock spoke.

"Sit down" Gohan's sire ordered, "And tell me exactly what happened, in order, with as much detail as you can remember."

~/~

After Gohan relayed the tale, he felt a bit queasy. No one doubted him. Bardock's tail swished pensively behind him, lost deep in thought. Everyone seemed to be taking a moment to soak it in, though not with any shock at his words.

They had obviously already known.

Trunks watched the reactions of everyone around them as Gohan relived his dream. Of course he did pay attention to his bond mate's words... The prince hadn't made Gohan recite every aspect of the dream to him earlier. If he had any questions though, he knew Gohan would humor him later if need be. There was so much to be read in the King's face at this moment, Trunks was sure Gohan would forgive him.

The bastards had already known. They had known a threat that wiped out all of them was coming, and hadn't said anything to them. It was all there in the tired, yet hopeful, acceptance the King gave to Gohan's vision as he heard it.

Only once did the prince manage to catch his father's gaze. Holding it, Trunks made no effort to pretend to be fine with his father's decision to withhold information. A conversation with no words passed between them. The monarch was unable to show any regret of course, out of principle. Trunks looked away first, giving him just the barest edge of defiance.

He wouldn't let this go. It was his and Gohan's fate just as much as theirs. Didn't they deserve the same chance to change it? Trunks wouldn't say he fumed, but he definitely stewed over the 'cub' treatment they'd been given.

"There was a report a little while ago" the King tapped his fingers on the table as if thinking, "Regarding a strange spate of former Purists 'going wild' and returning to the caves... I thought the possibility of them recruiting the wildlings seemed rather desperate and far fetched at the time. Now it makes me wonder if there's been more going on that we've missed." It was a silent effort to make up for the lack of information sharing before on the King's part. Trunks accepted the offering, but could never acknowledge what had really passed between the two of them just now.

"The wildlings would be very difficult for them to control or put to use though. Their allegiance wouldn't really be more than a psychological blow" Trunks commented, earning a nod from his father.

"True, and that's part of why I mostly dismissed it. The effort seemed more like a ploy to boost the morale of the few members they have left" Vegeta replied. All of them stared at more or less the same spot in the middle of the table. No one was really making eye contact anymore.

"Pride" Bardock seemed to suddenly be filled with an energy that made his back straighter and a fire fill his eyes. Toma looked at him expectantly. Gohan lifted his gaze, but he had no idea what his sire was alluding to at first. He was still too shaken from the tendrils of his dream and retelling it.

"I told you once that we couldn't use the same methods with Paragus, that this was different than when we were up against Frieza" Bardock's fists clenched where they rested on the tabletop, "I was wrong. Well, sort of..." He looked over to Vegeta, "The secrecy, the plotting, all that's being used against us now. But the underlying root is the same. Pride. We can still use Paragus' pride against him, even if it's in a different manner than we did with the space demons."

"How? If they're all counting on Broly as their secret weapon, where is there a chance to breed infighting among them?" Kakarot asked.

Bardock looked at his son and took a deep breath. He leveled his gaze on both him and the King, paying them equal attention in this moment.

"We don't need infighting to act as a distraction, we're already the ones in power here. We do need time to get stronger, just like back then. How we do it though, is to swallow our own pride."

Vegeta's tail twitched behind him.

"What exactly are you suggesting?" he asked coolly.

"In Gohan's vision, he heard Paragus gloating, telling you that he bet you wished you'd given him the proper respect. We can use that ego against him, feed it and cater to it. It would require a monumental amount of self control on our parts, mostly your part" Bardock acknowledged, nodding to the King, "But, if Paragus is focused on the platitudes and honors he can swindle out of you, he'll be distracted. Possibly even enough to be conflicted, and not strike while there's still more political favors to be bestowed" Bardock sort of thought out loud as he spoke.

"But if we don't know when it's coming..." Gohan spoke up. "I mean, if it's next week they're planning this for, it may not be enough to deter him" he seemed to be coming out of his half-dazed state.

Bardock sighed, rubbing his hands over his temple.

"I know. We've got to try something though. Pride is a saiyan's main weakness, and if we're going to attempt anything on this little information, I think it's our best shot" the scarred male reminded them all.

A tension filled silence crept into the room, with all present knowing who this particular plan hinged on. It was of course _within_ his capabilities, but inflating Paragus' ego would mean Vegeta subordinating his own...

King rolled his eyes and sighed, finding that everyone's attention was solidly on him now. "Since I get to have the lovely job of licking Paragus' boots, the least the rest of you can do is train your tails off." Vegeta broke into a strange sort of chuckle after that. "You know, Paragus might actually have been right about one thing. My father definitely would have suggested a bit more sacrifice in the young prince's life. Hopefully it's not too late to make up for lost time" he mused. Trunks felt he already knew where this was going, but he had to ask.

"So what do you recommend for our new training schedule, father?"

Vegeta shook his head, and Kakarot grinned.

"I lived the first two decades of my life either in a training room, or in a healing tank" the King informed them, "It's not a matter of scheduling, it's a way of life."


	12. Chapter 12 - Tinder and Spark

Vegeta resisted the urge to rub over the sharp pain in his skull. Listening to Paragus prattle on about council nonsense always gave him a headache. It seemed to be an increasing factor these days, now that he had to constantly pretend he didn't want to destroy the older male.

Months had gone by since Bardock and Gohan's visions, but it was of little comfort to him. They had not gained a significant enough amount of power yet, for any of the urgency to abate. Until then, Vegeta was stuck pandering to these fools. Paragus' son Broly was as odd as his father was ambitious. There was just something about the male that unsettled his stomach, and not for any reasons related to his power level.

The King had taken his own son out of the public eye so he could focus on training. Whatever small relief Vegeta's schedule had gotten from Trunks' coming of age, was negated now. The King of course joined Kakarot and the brats when he could. There were many things that pulled on his attention though, _requirements_, _duties_...

Part of him didn't even want to know when the brats truly passed him up. His only consolation was that he had _ordered_ it, and it was thus partly an extension of his own power. Like with Kakarot. The two of them were certainly stronger than he and Kakarot had been, at their ages. Stronger than either of them had dreamed of being, even...

Vegeta forced his inner thoughts aside as the debate in front of him picked up. A response would be required of him soon, and he was not the kind to ever let his attention slip completely.

"Your, _objections_, are duly noted, Sage. However, I have chosen to place Paragus as the advising official..."

~/~

Gohan tried to act normally. He squared off against his father daily now, but this time was different. They were in the rare occasion of having an audience, due to the festivities. Rather subdued festivities, but festivities nonetheless. As Vegeta's _public_ tolerance of the Purists had swayed, so had the overall mood of the planet. Resentment now clung to many of the subjects once considered to be the most loyal.

It was a bad position to be in, but they had no choice. Just like with this spar. The lesser celebrations were still cause for good natured scrapping, even though they may not call for a tournament. Today they remembered the death of an ancient warrior from generations past. Naturally, Kakarot was the one most of the palace wanted to see fight. The selection of people who could be a worthy opponent for him was miniscule though.

Which naturally lead to Gohan being jostled toward the open area by the other guards. He didn't resent it, but since practically the entire palace was gathered, he had to be careful. There were males here that were known enemies, since they were calling a spade a spade these days...

Gohan didn't want to reveal his true strength, even though Broly himself wasn't among the crowd. He just hoped his father had drawn the same silent conclusion that he had.

Trunks watched on from his place next to the King, his tail flicking in agitation every once in a while. The rumors spreading through the public were upsetting to him most of all; that the King was now becoming ashamed of his son. Even though the prince knew the truth behind all their actions, it still riled him.

With a fake smile, Gohan tossed his cape aside and made a 'come at me' gesture in Kakarot's direction. The glee in his father's face worried him briefly, but he didn't have time to dwell on it.

Kakarot wasn't holding back.

There was no way Gohan could think of to communicate to him mid-spar that he had missed something important here... All he could do was hold _himself_ back as much as he dared. He couldn't go so far as to attract his father's anger though, or he would get called on it right then and there. Gohan knew that from experience already.

He was just thankful that custom dictated no ki attacks be exchanged inside the palace walls. They weren't built to withstand that kind of force, especially from a super saiyan. After trading physical blows for a good while, Gohan's reduced speed finally allowed his father to get him in a headlock.

Since it was all in fun, that was considered an acceptable position to 'give' from. Gohan tapped out, signaling with two quick motions of his tail that he was done. Kakarot released him, but took a backhanded parting shot at his head. Gohan ducked it, both of them eyeing each other with wary grins, even though it was 'over'...

Once the two of them finally powered down, the lesser males began rough housing again in their place. Gohan expected to have to explain himself later. He braced himself for a lecture, or a beating. ...Chastisement on taking 'political' type decisions into his own hands, certainly... When he got none of those, the first inkling of a shift in things began to enter his mind. He dismissed it though. Out of hand.

There was absolutely no way that he could be becoming stronger than his father.

~/~

Gohan's birthday was three days before the full moon. It hadn't been an issue for his human mother, though normally those births were difficult for saiyans. On vegeta-sei, _all_ interactions were on edge for the few days directly preceding and following it. The full moon that was.

Being the date considered the anniversary of the program though, was an entirely different matter. Tensions ran high through much of the populace, with the King having relented on more than a few anti half breed issues. Beatings and discrimination were common again, with or without the savage influence of that lunar orb.

When Gohan turned twenty five, he found himself contemplating something he had never really considered before. He wondered what it would have been like to be completely human. To have been raised on earth and never had a tail, never flown, never hesitated to look up at night.

On the dawn of the program's twenty fifth anniversary, the first half breed casualty of the conflict was claimed.

"He was just a child, Vegeta, a child!" Bulma raged at the King, having had enough of these games. "They strung him up and left him to bleed out at _fifteen_. _Fifteen_, Vegeta! And no one said a goddamn thing? I'll kill them myself, the fucking cowards!" she yelled.

The King wasn't _actually_ arguing with her, for all her pacing and throwing of things across the room. In a sort of weirdly twisted scientific way, Bulma had always considered all the half-breeds as her own.

"What am I supposed to do?" The King asked tiredly, his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't look confrontational though, no matter the posture. He looked worried. He looked the kind of frustrated that comes from running out of options.

"_Beat_ some decency into your people if you have to, that's what!" Bulma rounded on him, not even close to being done, "He was still _alive_, Vegeta, we could have saved him, if someone had just fucking _said something_."

Angry tears dripped down his mother's face as Trunks watched them fight. It made him both uneasy and upset as well, her crying.

"The streets smell of blood at all times now, and you can't blame the general public for not looking up at night. That's _why_ they did it the way they did" Vegeta let some of his own anger over the situation seep into his voice. "When we find those responsible, they will be executed, plain and simple."

"It's not enough." Bulma glared at him. Trunks noticed his mother's gaze shift from the King, over to him. She didn't say anything else though, getting abruptly quiet. After a long moment, she met Vegeta's eyes again.

"You have to _do something_, Vegeta, or there won't be a _civilization_ left to rule over on this planet anymore..."

Those words circled in Trunks' head over and over, running through it for the rest of the day. He knew his mother was right. He also knew that there was very little the King _could_ do, in light of the situation. They all doubted they were ready to face off with Broly, even though it had been a couple of years now since the visions.

Trunks didn't know if it was continued premonitions, or just how deeply the initial one had shaken him, that kept Bardock skeptical of their chances. He wasn't sure he wanted to find out. He hoped daily that another vision would come and turn the tide of events, but he knew it was foolhardy. He didn't even tell Gohan about such silly hopes.

And now this. Now half breeds were being strung up in the streets. Killing was nothing new to their race, but even then, there were rules, guidelines... Or maybe Trunks just liked to think those guidelines had meant more than they really did? Were the saiyans, deep down, not ready for the kind of society they had tried to emulate from others?

It seemed defeatist to dwell on such things for too long, but in light of the day's events, he couldn't help it. That night when he and Gohan curled up around each other, Trunks could feel the tremble building inside him before it hit.

In the darkness with no one else around, even then Trunks could never admit he was afraid. But it didn't stop Gohan from smelling it. With strong arms, but little in the way of comfort, he held his prince tightly against him.

"What am I supposed to do?" Trunks mumbled, moisture staining the fabric where he pressed to Gohan's chest.

"...I don't know..." Gohan felt he had to answer, though he really didn't have one. They were trapped in trying to change the future.

"They need help, I can't just... How can I defend them all? I'm their prince, it's my responsibility-..." Trunks shook his head, frustration dulling his ability to express it. Gohan understood exactly what he meant though. Even if they wanted to personally step in and fight off those attacking the half breeds, they couldn't be everywhere at once.

There were seven hundred and eighty eight...seven hundred and eighty _seven_, half breeds on the planet, at last count. Enough to actually be considered a percentage of the population now. Not a large percentage, but still, too many to be watched over by just he and Trunks. To Gohan, it felt as if reality itself was breaking down around him. None of the social contracts he'd been raised to believe in held true anymore...

A knocking at their bedroom door interrupted the brooding mood they were both producing. Trunks made sure to dry his eyes before speaking, though he already had a good assumption of who it would be.

"Come in" he said gently, and his supposition was confirmed.

"Um, Katsu was...crying, a little," Cumin emerged as the leader of the trio, "So he asked if we could sleep in here...just for tonight..." All their heads were hung in submissiveness, and it made them seem younger than they really were for a moment. Trunks was abruptly reminded that Sorai, the deceased male, had been no older than his own attendants.

"Of course... Just for tonight..." he relented to the uncommon request.

Gohan was immediately reminded of when he was a cub himself, crawling up between Bardock and Toma. It was comforting back then, and he knew the brats needed that now. He was glad Trunks had agreed. As they all settled, with the three youngest in the middle, Gohan's heart ached for the unease still prevalent in the room.

He knew Trunks would never let himself show the emotion he had before in front of them. The moment was over...but perhaps it was for the best. Letting their enhanced human feelings take them over wouldn't help solve this. Gohan refused to believe there wasn't a solution. They just needed to find it. They needed to stay strong until the true crucible came.

~/~

The next morning was a tortuous display of political self control. The King had to pretend that his interest in finding those responsible wasn't pressing. Paragus and Tatoe, both present today, pretended they hadn't been directly involved. Bardock leaned against the wall as if this were just another normal meeting. Trunks was playing perfect prince at his father's side.

Gohan just wanted to yell in frustration.

He had never been as good as Trunks, in holding himself back when it came to injustice. At this rate, they may reach a day where he would have to excuse himself, for the 'show' to continue without suspicion. By the end of the session, he had taken to just staring rather blankly at the far wall. It wasn't the kind of situation where his opinion would even remotely be required. It also afforded him the internal focus to keep his power from spiking in anger.

From his spot on the wall, Bardock could take in almost everyone there. It disturbed something inside him, to see the _resignation_ in Gohan's face. He remembered when it had overtaken Kakarot, and the brat had never been quite the same after that.

Bardock's youngest had been surprisingly content with the breed mate picked out for him among the human candidates. When Chichi had succumbed to illness though... Bardock knew as soon as he laid eyes on his son, that there would be no interest in him to raise the whelp any longer.

It happened occasionally. It wasn't unheard of for neither parent to desire to care for their offspring. Gohan was far too important to be left to fend for himself though. Bardock had known Toma wouldn't really mind, for all his grousing, so he had taken the whelp back with him that same day.

Even with it being a very different set of circumstances, Bardock didn't like seeing the two males left in his line with such identical looks on their faces.

Council business moved on from topic to topic, until finally they broke for lunch. Other members of the court, functionaries, even guards, came and went for the meal. The King and his pack had a separate table of course, but breakfast was the only time they consistently got to eat alone.

Trunks wished they could just be done with these others already, but he didn't let it show on his face. He could tell Gohan was in a foul mood, or what passed for it with him. He had good reason to be. Strangely though, today, Trunks didn't feel like pulling his bodyguard aside and kissing him until the light came back into his eyes. He felt like bashing in the skulls of those responsible for stealing it in the first place.

The prince watched with cool detachment as Paragus and Tatoe went about their meal, right in front of them, as if nothing was wrong. Then something happened that Trunks would not have really considered a turning point, political or otherwise. One of Tatoe's line, Cumber, the son of his son, walked into the room.

Having been off world for quite a while, he was welcomed warmly to the Purist's table. Immediately he was slapped on the back and asked for tales of his adventures.

Sorai's father would never get to see his son return to him.

Trunks decided in that moment, almost before he even knew what he was doing, to put that fear into the Purist's hearts as well. They had been mixing contradictory lies for years, about the half breed's softness, yet how they were a danger. Perhaps it was time to give some grounding to their 'fears', since there was now no way out of this conflict.

"Cumber," Trunks casually raised his voice above the general bustle, "I don't mean to be rude, but I couldn't help overhear that you've recently returned from off planet?"

Talk stopped throughout most of the room as the prince addressed this commoner, however elite, out of the blue.

"Yes, your highness. Our squad has been in high demand guarding interstellar shipments" the young male elaborated. He sounded so full of himself and pretending of importance, that Trunks had no problem sliding into his most condescending tones to reply.

"My, that does sound _thrilling_, being out amongst the stars, the fate of _tons_ of materials resting on your shoulders..." Trunks could feel Gohan's tail silently asking him what he was doing under the table.

"It's, a dangerous route...your highness" Cumber's self assurance seemed to falter a bit under Trunks' rather basic description of his job.

"You are the commander of your unit, are you not?" the prince continued to make conversation, though no one could seem to tell why. Trunks ignored Gohan's tail. Cumber nodded, holding the prince's gaze.

"You must be simply starved for a good fight then, I mean, being the strongest in your squad. It's not as if the others could ever be real competition for such a leader" Trunks wove a careful mix of flattery with assumptions Cumber couldn't dare to refute. The male responded much as Trunks intended, his manner easing, a small smile gracing his features.

"That's quite true, your highness" he tipped his head again in the barest of nods. Tatoe was looking hard at the prince, but Trunks ignored him as well.

"We should spar sometime" Trunks said lightly, as if bestowing some large grace upon a subject not quite worthy of it. In any other situation, he might have been. Cumber's eyes widened slightly at the shock of the invitation, but he nodded in acceptance right away. Anything less would have been an affront to royalty, which they still didn't dare do in the King's presence.

"It would be my honor, your highness" Cumber gave a small bow, keeping to custom.

"It would, wouldn't it? How about right now?" Trunks smiled, "Nothing overly serious mind you, I'll not transform, since you are incapable of it."

Only at those words, did the true depth of what Cumber may have fallen into here, seem to hit him.

"That is most gracious of you, but, I'd hate to see you have to hold back on my account, your highness" he quickly began trying to find a way out of this.

"Nonsense," Trunks dispelled Cumber's worries with a wave of his hand. Before ending the motion though, he began the removing of his gloves.

"With having really no one but Gohan to fight, I'm sure I could use some practice in _holding back_" he commented, as if it were all his subject's duty to see his training was as well rounded as possible.

Cumber's eyes were trained on Trunks' hands while he took in those words. As the royal gloves were tossed down on the table, eyes flicked back up to meet the prince's gaze. Trunks could see the moment he steeled himself to his fate. Good. If he was a coward, too terrified to put up a fight, it would take all the fun out of it.

"Clear these tables back" Trunks ordered to the general room, standing from his seat. Guards and lesser officials rushed to comply, with most present picking up their plates to watch the fight. Saiyans could of course sense the tension in the air, but were excited by the prospect of a spar as well.

While his orders were carried out, Trunks took off his cape, draping it over the back of his chair. The royal table would remain here, of course. He ignored the looks his father and Kakarot were casually aiming his way. Unless they outright denied him this, Trunks wouldn't be swayed by mild disapproval.

Next he took off his earrings, and the circlet he wore that marked him as of the King's line.

Gohan watched seriously as the little orbs were placed in his palm, with the rest of Trunks' jewelry being laid in front of him. He knew what Trunks meant to imply by stripping as if for a tournament. As did the crowd. Seeing the prince begin to remove his armor, Cumber mirrored him as the whispers picked up. Gohan noticed as the two males moved into the open space, that Katsu was watching them intently. He still held a platter of fruit meant for the King's table, but Gohan couldn't blame him for getting distracted. The cub's eyes were glued to the impromptu ring as the fight began.

Every step Trunks took, he moved with power. The male carried himself with an authority that had nothing to do with ki mastery. Even wearing nothing but his pants, it was still obvious he was a prince. Gohan had a feeling that Cumber was about to die in front of them.

When Trunks' power began to rise, filling the room, Cumber took a defending stance.

That was fine, Trunks had no problem being on the offensive. He rocketed forward, landing a punch that Cumber had little hope of seeing, let alone avoiding. The full blooded male sailed backwards, but Trunks hadn't hit him hard enough to knock him out. The prince wanted him broken and bloodied, not a quick heap on the floor.

As they fought, Cumber tried... Tried to stay on his feet, tried to land a single blow... He even tried to make a grab for Trunks' hair, which was not tied properly since this was all 'for fun'. He discovered quickly that a close proximity while fighting the prince was not desirable. It looked like the nearly instant charge of lightning's flash, when Trunks gathered ki in the palm of his hand.

Cumber released him at once to make some semblance of a block, but the energy never hit him. When he looked up, Trunks was simply standing there, watching him cower. Taking a single step forward, the prince then kicked his opponent in the head, hard enough to cause a tell-tale crack.

With the technology they possessed though, it wasn't _necessarily_ a death sentence. Trunks decided to leave that part of it in fate's hands, and drug the limp, bloody body over to Tatoe's feet. The older male's nose flared, but Trunks gave him no time to speak. He grabbed the front of Tatoe's shirt, pulling him down so their words stayed only semi-private.

"If any more half breeds _mysteriously_ show up dead, I'll have _your_ blood smeared across my stomach, Tatoe" Trunks hissed.

"That is hardly _my_ responsibility, your-"

Trunks released him abruptly, pushing on his chest just a little to make him stumble backward.

"I'm _making_ it your responsibility" he said, a cold anger making his features practically glow with power. Tatoe blinked at him, his mouth hanging slightly open at the outright command.

"Gohan" Trunks said curtly, still holding Tatoe's gaze and brushing over a smear of blood on his arm, "Bring my things, I find I have need to shower after _interacting_ with this full blooded whelp."

It wasn't really a _fight_, so there was no need for Trunks to label it as such.

Scooping up the prince's affects, Gohan did his best to suppress a smile as he followed him. They passed Katsu on their way, and Gohan was glad to see the brat standing taller than he had been before. No smile was necessary to discern the pleased look in his eyes.

Trunks may be onto something here. If they couldn't change their fate, then they could at least go down fighting. It felt a hell of a lot better than doing nothing. The last thing Gohan heard before they left the room was Vegeta ordering Cumber taken to the tanks, to see if he could be saved. Tatoe was obviously voicing some _complaints_ about what had just happened.

"Bah, he'll live, you can't blame the young for being too affected by the full moon" Vegeta expertly dismissed his own knowing of what had really just taken place, "Things _will_ settle down shortly, I'm sure of it..."

Not for the first time, Gohan was glad that the King's line was known for its intelligence as much as its strength.

In the showers, with Trunks pushing him up against the cool of the tiles, Gohan asked him softly over his shoulder,

"So, what is it you think you're doing?"

"Fighting back" Trunks answered smoothly, sliding a hand up to grip the back of Gohan's hair, "And fucking you." He turned his husband's head so he could press it more closely against the wall.

Gohan smiled as he felt Trunks' erection rubbing at him, and closed his eyes, relaxing. The authority in Trunks' movements, the fact that he was taking charge in this and other things, made Gohan content. He felt, safe, even; though he knew in the back of his mind that Trunks was still no stronger than him. It must be something to do with being a half breed, he finally decided as Trunks slid inside him.

He groaned more than normal while his husband massaged the sensitive skin around the base of his tail. It was kind of nice to be pinned against the wall too, it made it feel like Trunks was even deeper inside him.

Gohan came first, the sticky warmth of his seed in stark contrast with the chill of the tile against his stomach. He felt Trunks bury himself as deeply as he could only a few moments later. While they caught their breath, the prince's seed ran down Gohan's leg as it escaped him. Both of them were going to need another soaping up now. Neither of them realized that the fresh towels they dried off with afterward, hadn't been there when they'd first come in.

~/~

"Well, I think we all know why none of us could bring ourselves to stop it" Bardock sort of sighed and grumbled, "Because we all wished it could have been us."

The King raised an eyebrow, but then sighed.

"I've no idea if the brat did more harm than good with that little stunt...but I do envy him for getting to beat someone up. Unfortunately, it looks like Cumber will live" Vegeta mused.

"Yeah, what a shame" Kakarot said, "He should have just finished the job."

"It makes no difference. Cumber's life is inconsequential, and that was part of the point" Vegeta contradicted his bond mate.

"It's funny how the young always seem to come into their own when their life is at greatest risk" Bardock added, talking half to himself. No one contradicted him.

"Well, the full moon has passed, and I don't think we can reasonably blame this on that anymore" Toma waved a hand at the report they had all gathered to discuss. And that discussion had quickly lead them all down one path. Somehow Trunks' display had sent a ripple through the half breed community. They weren't just ducking their heads and staying out of sight anymore.

When their mothers sent them to market, they would go a dozen at a time instead of slinking through the shadows. No longer did they bother to hide their hair or their coloring. A good chunk of them were old enough to be considered full grown now, and were taking charge of their group's safety. Purists who picked fights or harassed them found their soft, half breed targets suddenly fighting back. They were fighting back, and winning.

It had only been four days.

They all were a little worried for what it meant about how quickly this would escalate.

"With any luck, we'll see things actually calm down once the half breeds have staked out their place. It's funny, but a lot of talk has been circulating about how they're more saiyan than most originally thought, now that they're standing up for themselves..." Bardock said.

"We can't rely on luck though" Vegeta refused to get too hopeful in that area. "The Purists certainly aren't. Things won't 'die down', they won't let them. Paragus will be right back at my feet with new demands. We all know it's not really that he wants to trample the half breeds, but to climb the throne. He doesn't give a shit about what he does to our race in the process."

That throbbing was back in Vegeta's skull, but he refused to give in to it. He absolutely refused.

~/~

At the end of that week, when Trunks was being dressed by his attendants, Aaron came into the room with a black eye. Being that he was the least likely of the three to be caught in a fight, it was something worth addressing.

"Are you going to get that healed up?" Trunks asked casually, as a way of starting the conversation.

"It's not bad enough for that, it'll mend on it's own" Aaron said simply. Trunks could tell he wasn't ashamed of the mark, so he must have been the victor. It confirmed his suspicions though, that being inside the palace no longer made them immune to dealing with such things. Aaron continued about his tasks as they talked.

"And who was it that decided to make themselves a problem for you?" Trunks asked, curious if it was someone they already knew was a Purist sympathizer.

"For me? No one, your highness" Aaron answered him. He was fitting Trunks' boot on, and when he stood, met the prince's gaze. "There are a couple guards...just the usual riff raff...who like to hassle Cumin about being bonded to a half breed" he elaborated, "...This time, I hassled them back."

"I see" Trunks couldn't help a small smile from forming in response.

"I'm his bond mate, it's my right" Aaron nodded, stealing a glance over to Cumin.

"It most certainly is. Hopefully they're smart enough to learn from the first beating" the prince added. He wanted to make sure his attendants knew to keep their awareness up at all times now. "Are they on duty today?" he questioned.

Aaron didn't answer him right away, and then Cumin spoke up from the side.

"They're in a tank" he informed the room, looking at his bond mate with admiration. Aaron blushed just the smallest amount, and Trunks could tell he was going to visible effort not to duck his head.

"I just, got so angry... I didn't want to kill them though, I don't... I don't think they even really knew what they were getting into" Aaron did look away at that, never having been one to boast in his own ability.

"Anger does fuel us... It's good you were able to keep control though" Trunks felt that the conversation was winding down, but noticed Aaron was still unmoving afterward, as if he had more to say. Trunks waited patiently, and when Aaron noticed him waiting, he took a resolute breath.

"Do you think... That it's possible... For the rest of us..." Aaron's eyes flicked silently back and forth between the prince and Gohan as he stated his hesitant question.

The room went immediately still.

"Why, do... Do you think, you've come close?" Trunks asked, just as hesitantly. He glanced at Gohan, who was casually making sure the door was closed securely. They all knew the severity of importance any of the other half breeds going super saiyan would have.

"I... I don't know... I'm not really sure what 'close' is... It's just, I've heard rumors, that maybe we can" Aaron confided in them, trusting his prince in a way that Gohan was glad to see.

Making his decision, Trunks took a deep breath, and looked Aaron straight in the eye.

"There are a lot of unknowns about it... Even my mother's research is, as of yet, inconclusive... That's all any of us ever had, was a _maybe_" he ended with, his voice softer than normal. He knew all his attendants were very sharp, they wouldn't have lasted here if they weren't.

If there was nothing to have indicated that Trunks and Gohan _would_ be super saiyans, then there was nothing to say that the others _wouldn't_.

Trunks hoped his father would forgive him, if he ever found out, for what he had just done here. He couldn't let the brats, or the entire population of half breeds for that matter, go on without any hope though.

Aaron's eyes filled with determination right before him, and he gave a small, curt nod of acknowledgment. Trunks returned it, and no more words were spoken on the subject. The prince lifted his arms for the rest of his outfit to be put on him, and they went on about their day.


	13. Chapter 13 - The Eye of The Storm

Vegeta refused to think of it as open war. There had been, _incidents_, minor ones in the grand scheme of things...contained quickly... He and only the handful of males in his pack knew what would be the true harbinger of war though. Paragus had yet to play his ultimate hand, and the King held on fiercely to each day that he could.

Only six months after the killing of the first half breed, the Purists had become bold beyond imagining. There were now entire sections of the city that being a human or a half breed in, meant death by frivolous challenge. A few weeks ago, a group of half breeds had petitioned _Bulma_ for their mothers to be returned to earth. It angered him for them to circumvent his authority like that, but he couldn't blame them.

The brats themselves didn't request to go though... Vegeta had a mess of epic proportions on his hands, and it was only getting worse. If... _When_ it came down to it, the fighting in the streets, the half breeds were going to take a large chunk of their opponents down with them.

Perhaps it was his own fault. He'd been tight lipped, secretive even, about the program in it's beginning stages. None of the populace knew that the saiyans had reached a point of no return, numbers wise, long before this current conflict. Probably even in his own father's time, it had been unavoidable.

Once they halved their numbers, if not more, here when the true fighting began... Well, then they _all_ would see. And it would be too late. It was already too late. He should have pulled at least his council aside, told them the real reasoning. Perhaps it would have quelled Paragus' discontent all those years ago, to know the end of their entire race was near. Perhaps not.

"I think we all know that continued negotiations aren't going to lead anywhere" Paragus said in a matter of fact tone. Vegeta's focus honed in with laser-like precision to the male's words. Was this it? Broly wasn't at the palace today, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. The King felt Kakarot stiffen beside him, and hoped the fool could contain himself if this turned out to be a false alarm.

"Only if we are no longer truly negotiating" Vegeta said, careful to maintain a certain amount of detachment still.

"The half breeds are a menace. They're rioting in the streets, causing disruptions and destroying the saiyan way of life" Paragus was not usually so 'to the point'.

Vegeta wished he could point out how the Purists had actually been the ones to start all those areas of conflict.

"We understand that of course there is an exception for _royal_ blood, but at this point, there is nothing left that can put things right, save for total extermination of these parasites" Paragus demanded.

Which was outrageous and ridiculous of course, but Vegeta could see the ploy behind it. Apparently, they wanted him to be the one to make the first move... That was the only thing that could explain them daring him like this. Paragus knew there was absolutely no way the King could agree to that. They were purposefully trying to push him into an outright refusal.

"Well, I think the alliance with earth would suffer rather badly from such an action, and we do rely on their technology quite heavily... I would be willing to entertain the idea of exile though, as an alternative... I agree, things certainly have gotten out of hand..." Vegeta pretended to weigh the idea dispassionately. He could tell Paragus was caught off guard by his response.

It was small comfort as he proceeded to hash out the details of what such an exile would entail.

The King almost snorted out loud when Paragus began to talk about the need for him to produce a new heir. Trunks of course would be disqualified from rule, due to his human blood, but be allowed to remain on the planet due to Vegeta's. Gohan would have to leave though, as he was too much of a figurehead for the _failed_ program.

The prince would also be banned from reproducing, just as a 'precaution'.

Vegeta knew it was all of no consequence in the long run. Things wouldn't get that far. If these were their demands now, then civil war would be upon them before the one moon time frame was up. The King was surprised it wasn't framed in days, actually. It wasn't as if they really cared about the human families having time to gather their things and be gone. Anyone left on the planet after the deadline would be fair game for hunting down and executing.

"Also, one last thing... To drive home the point of these undesirables never coming back, it should be made treason for any full blooded saiyans to leave with them" Paragus did his absolute best to rile the King in any way he could before the session ended.

Vegeta stared at Paragus for too long when he said that, he knew it. He had a feeling they both knew that the time was up though.

"Fine." The King spat out, standing afterward. "Have a formal declaration made out, and delivered to my chambers later for signing." With that he left them to their gloating, and went to find Bardock.

~/~

"It could come any time between now and then, but I'll eat my scouter if they plan on waiting until after" Bardock sighed. They were much stronger than when he had his first vision, but not strong enough.

He hadn't told the King, when the second seeing hit him last month. There was no rhyme or reason to the length of time he would be out for. Apparently that one had been short enough that since he was alone, it drew no attention.

Even after all they had done, all they had trained for, they were still all going to die. At least as far as he could see. His vision had cut out upon his own death. In this one, Paragus had captured Bulma, using her against Vegeta and Trunks to make them hesitate.

He hadn't told the King that they were still no match for Broly's power. He didn't want to steal away the last bit of hope they were all clinging to. Bardock figured, it was better to die trying, than to have given up before the battle even started.

In light of the new 'exile' situation though, there may be a different, small shred of hope he could give them. If he could pluck the brats' thread out before everything unraveled, then _they_ might have a chance later.

"I want you to scour your sources, Bardock, _all_ your contacts. We _have_ to find out the exact day" Vegeta ordered, crushing the metal of his cup in frustration. He threw the disfigured lump angrily.

"Yes, of course, your highness" he bowed. As soon as he straightened, he excused himself, to go carry out the orders.

"Kakarot!" he heard the King order behind him, "It's time for a spar!"

~/~

When Gohan left their bedroom, he could _feel_ the anger in the air, smell the fear and uncertainty before any of the brats opened their mouths.

"What's going on?" he asked right away. Aaron slowly handed him a thick sheet of paper.

"We're being banished" he said in an almost disbelieving tone, not meeting Gohan's eyes and sort of staring off into space.

"Banished?! Who is?" Gohan could see it was a formal declaration he was holding, but he was slightly afraid himself, to look down and read it.

"All of us. All the half breeds" Katsu said softly, anger simmering in his eyes. Gohan finally forced himself to look down and read the truth of what was going on. His eyes widened in shock as he read the terms of the half breed's exile. His heart stopped in his chest to read about the special provisions for Trunks. _Just_ for Trunks.

When his heart picked up it's beat again, it pushed raw fury through his veins. The page slipped from his fingers, and he walked out of the room without a word. He had no care for being out of uniform, or anyone who tried to speak to him on the way.

Gohan pushed into the room where the King was, finding him already eating his breakfast. Kakarot stood as soon as Gohan began moving toward him, and the _readied_ stance he saw jolted him back to reality. He could not literally _attack_ the King...

"How _dare_ you" he spat, vehemence pouring out of him. The King gave him a look that said he was close to his limit already, but Gohan didn't care.

"I would urge you to reconsider the _reality_ of the situation, whelp" Vegeta had a dangerous tone in his voice, having put up with far too much insubordination of late.

"I know" Gohan growled, "I know the reality." He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to hold onto it. "What I _don't_ know, is why you would agree to us being separated, even on paper. He is my bond mate, my husband. I _will not_ leave his side" Gohan felt his anger overflowing in hot trails down his face, but he refused to look away from the King.

He could see Bardock getting up from his seat as well, but the last thing he wanted was to be pacified right now.

"No one's asking you to really-" Bardock began.

"I am _not_ abandoning him, and I am not going down without a fight" Gohan spoke both to his sire and the King, but turned more toward his sovereign. "If you wanted to go ahead and just start the war, you should have killed Paragus where he sat. At least then you wouldn't look weak in the eyes of your people" Gohan's voice dripped with accusation and disgust.

Gohan watched the enraged twitch build up in Vegeta's right eye as he spoke. He watched as the King powered up and flew toward him. When the King's fist connected with his face, he didn't flinch. Now that he thought about it, watching the shock run through Vegeta, Gohan couldn't remember having turned super saiyan himself. Maybe he already had been when he walked into the room, who knows...

All he knew was that the King was no match for him, and he'd forgotten to pretend the blow affected him. What happened next surprised him though. Vegeta grabbed him by the jaw, hovering in the air in front of him so Gohan had to look up.

"You think I haven't heard all this shit from your sire already? You think you know so much better what should be done? Fuck you" Vegeta glared at him. "Power down and get the fuck out of my sight."

Gohan stared at the King, not wanting to obey him, but knowing that disobeying a direct order was out of the question. He wasn't Broly, he wasn't Paragus, trying to pretend they were something they weren't. Something worthy of challenging their _King_. After a long minute, Gohan powered down, and Vegeta released him with a scoff.

He wasn't trying to catch his father's eye as he turned, it was just happenstance. The look he saw there was so odd it gave him pause. Gohan wasn't sure if it was sadness or disappointment. He wasn't sure that he cared. His eyes were pulled to Bardock's face as well after that, almost outside his control. His sire looked relieved, but turned away from him quickly.

"He should be confined to quarters...he's in no shape to be seen in public" Bardock said to the King, as if Gohan wasn't standing right there. Vegeta nodded, but none of the anger had left him. Still in a daze, Gohan finally turned to leave, feeling both more emotion and more emptiness than he'd ever experienced before.

Trunks was watching all of them from the doorway.

"Go ahead, I'll be there in a moment" the prince said evenly, tipping his head toward the hallway as Gohan approached him. With a nod that was almost part bow, Gohan continued on, uncaring anymore, to be left out of whatever was to follow.

Trunks watched until Gohan was gone, and then turned back to the hall. He had the official proclamation rolled in his hand, and had been gripping it tightly. His grip loosened though, letting it unwind into a sheet in his palms again.

"I was going to ask for a moment alone with you, father, but perhaps now is not a good time..." Trunks smiled sadly.

"No" Vegeta surprised him by saying, "All the rest of you, leave us... There may never be another time" he sighed, the anger finally falling away from him.

Even though he was the last one out of the room, Bardock didn't hear any of what the King and prince said. They waited in silence for the privacy to be given them. Bardock hoped it went well, for both their sakes. The last thing they needed right now was to waste energy fighting amongst themselves.

~/~

Toma was far too experienced to be caught pacing like a cub. He would admit however, that he had developed a bit of a nervous twitch lately. It was hard to hold himself completely still while waiting for Bardock to return from the front lines. Toma had gone with his bond mate on these information gathering missions occasionally in the beginning. The finesse required by the job now though, was something better left to him.

Making contact with his various spies was hazardous. Toma was better at hand to hand combat and telling if plants would make good alcohol when fermented. Not that he just waited around for Bardock to take care of all the 'important' things on his own though...

He could tell Gohan was in desperate need of distraction after this morning's _performance_. Toma had spent a good deal of the afternoon working with him, drilling him on the basics. The brat had a tendency to brood that had nothing to do with his human heritage. Bardock was the same way, would get too lost in his head if left to himself.

It was better to get moving and have to focus on where the next fist might be coming from. Which was why Toma was in his current bone aching state. He wasn't going to do himself the insult of asking the brat to hold back a little more than he was already. It was ok though, it helped take his own mind off of whether his bond mate would return or not.

When the door finally slid open, Toma grunted and began pulling off his boots.

"You're back then?" he said gruffly, relieved and tired.

"Aye" Bardock replied, watching Toma and then moving to undress as well. "It looks like we'll have a few more weeks, but that's it. They're planning a preemptive strike on _all_ half breeds, the morons. The final blow here will come at the same time."

"Has the King decided what to do?" Toma asked, knowing that he would have been briefed first thing, before Bardock was let to rest.

"He's going to fight a war, as best he can, against an unbeatable enemy" Bardock sighed.

"And what are _you_ going to do?" his bond mate asked, knowing the elder male wasn't a fan of them all dying.

"I'm not really sure yet... Any suggestions?" Bardock grumbled, tired of everyone demanding answers of him.

"You could try being careful" Toma heard himself snort unexpectedly. He hadn't meant to get emotions involved, but there it was, nonetheless. He crossed his arms over his chest, even as they lay in bed now, and gave Bardock a stern look to go with it.

"...I'm always careful..." Bardock said more softly than he meant to, his tail uncurling in apology. He wrapped up Toma's with his.

"You're never careful. You almost got in the middle of a fight between two super saiyans. Don't think I didn't notice" Toma had meant for that to sound more sarcastic and playful than it did...

"But I didn't though..." Bardock said, as a reminder.

"I know, I just...damn it, I can't do this shit without you" Toma resorted to the age old standby of swearing to get his point across.

A knowing, mischievous smile worked it's way across Bardock's face. He leaned in to kiss his bond mate, and Toma gave a fake huffing sound.

"Idiot, don't get turned on by that, we're in the King's bed you know..."

~/~

Bardock had been hoping for overcast skies tonight. Not that it would really make a huge difference. The moon was near it's lowest point, so there was no real disincentive to looking up. It couldn't be helped though. It had to be tonight. Everything was in place, orders given and about to be executed.

He and Toma had made sure to bunk with the brats when it came time to sleep. It was faster and more convenient that way. Plus there was less chance of the King discovering what they were doing. Utmost secrecy was necessary when you were going behind your monarch's back.

Bulma had been integral to the plan, and Bardock knew without her help, they would never pull it off. In some ways her understanding was more rational and scientific than the King's. Plus, as a human, she was more willing to subscribe to the idea of running away so they could live to fight another day. So her son could live another day.

The Purist's strike was happening in just a few short days, and there was nothing to indicate they wouldn't all be slaughtered. Even though it roiled his stomach to think of it as 'running', Bardock knew if their _race_ wanted to survive, then the brats needed to. His own fate, his bond mate's, his bloodline's...even his King's...wasn't as important as preserving the _saiyans_ as a species.

He just hoped they found a way eventually, to clean up the mess Paragus was about to make...

At the predetermined time, Bardock sat up and got right in the prince's face, so he would be the only thing he saw upon waking. Gently shaking Trunks' shoulder, the elder male pressed a finger to his own lips, indicating silence. Blue eyes blinked at him a few times, but obeyed readily once focused. Toma was waking Gohan in much the same fashion.

"Dress quickly, and gather your things, Bulma is waiting for you" Bardock whispered. He then crawled out of bed himself after Trunks nodded. Trunks' attendants in the next room still needed waking while Toma stayed to supervise here.

They hadn't been able to let the brats that served the prince know what was happening either. There were just too many opportunities to slip up, living inside the palace. All three were quick to catch his drift when he quietly told them to dress and gather anything they'd need to meet up with their mothers.

Most of the _prince's_ affects had been packed up in secret ahead of time, his formal armor and ceremonial attire, etc. Toma had a capsule provided by Bulma for them to throw their few everyday things in right now. The woman sure knew how to cover all the bases, he would give her that.

"...Anything you'd miss if it got destroyed in the take-over" Toma was talking softly with the prince while they finished pulling on their boots. The two brats immediately went to very specific drawers and began pulling things out. Good, so they had given some thought to this already. Signaling him silently, Toma gave Bardock a nod to let him know they were on track in here.

He was going to turn to check on the attendants again, when he felt a hand on his arm.

"We're not going to be separated, right?" Gohan checked with him quietly, yet forcefully.

"No. Things have changed, you're...both being exiled... It's the only way" Bardock informed them in the same hushed tones. He tried to phrase it in a way that made it seem as if it was an 'official' decision, not just his own. The less they questioned it, the easier this would be.

The two brats shared a look, Trunks obviously the more shocked of the two. But they simply nodded afterward. Within twenty minutes, they all were ready to go, capes and capsules secured. Bulma was waiting for them at the arena with her ship. Taking off from the launching pads here would just have been too obvious.

Bardock lead them on a very carefully charted path through the palace. They avoided guards and crossing any unnecessarily open areas where they could be seen from afar without realizing it. Being a plan of such critical importance, Bardock knew that something was bound to go wrong though. He just didn't think it would take the form of Kakarot waiting for them in the middle of a hallway.

Freezing upon seeing the other saiyan, Bardock wasn't even sure what to say at first. His son was a notoriously deep sleeper, so happenstance was immediately ruled out here... King's bodyguard didn't just roam the halls at night for no reason.

"If you go this way, you'll be caught" Kakarot said without any prompting. Bardock wanted to ask him to explain himself, but at the same time, he didn't want the brats to catch on as to _who_ would be doing the catching. Deciding to trust in his son, he gave a curt nod when Kakarot motioned for them to follow him.

They took a different route out of the palace and through the city than Bardock had planned, but it wasn't substantially longer. They would still have time. He had to wonder how Kakarot knew where they were going... Stumbling upon leaked intelligence was not exactly the male's forte. Bulma looked surprised to see him when they arrived, so it couldn't have been that she told him.

"Everyone ready?" she asked, not quite whispering, but still keeping her voice down. The top of the line Capsule Corp ship that she used as her own personal space transportation was out and ready to go.

"As ready as they'll ever be" Bardock sighed, patting Gohan on the shoulder. The eldest half breed turned to him with a very serious look on his face.

"I'm never going to see you again, am I..." he asked, more like a statement. Bardock squeezed his shoulder, trying not to do it too sadly.

"There's not a good chance of it, no... If there were, you wouldn't be going" he shook his head just the tiniest bit. Gohan nodded in understanding, and clasped his sire's upper arm. Bardock returned the warrior's gesture, feeling unbidden moisture in his eyes when a tail prodded his into wrapping around it. One last time was ok.

Gohan repeated the same with Toma, who nodded, but didn't seem to be able to bring himself to speak. Moving on, there was only his father left. Gohan had learned a lot about his father since coming to the palace, and was glad to be able to say goodbye. After he pulled away, Kakarot took a hold of him by the back of the neck.

"Remember your oath" he said firmly, mimicking the same words he'd said to him when they left the planet last time. It hadn't mean nearly the same then, as it did now though. His father's eyes seemed to both harden and soften all at once when he added, "It's up to you now, son."

Gohan was fairly sure he meant that in a 'protect the line of the King' way... But it was abundantly obvious that if they all stayed behind and were killed, setting things right would fall to him and Trunks. He hoped his father could see in his eyes, the resolve he came to in that moment. They were being given a chance, and Gohan had no intention of squandering it.

Trunks had already pieced together his answer before he spoke, but he wanted to be sure.

"My father doesn't know you're sending us away, does he?" he asked Bardock quietly. There was a pause before the prince got his answer.

"Your father would have said goodbye to you, if he could have" was the even response he got. Trunks nodded slowly, feeling his mother's arm coming to hug him from behind. He straightened himself though, knowing that the way things were going, this was only the beginning.

"It's alright, we've already said what we needed to each other... You've served the house of Vegeta better, and with more loyalty, than we will probably ever even know" Trunks told him. The prince couldn't help but crack a wan smile. "If this was you 'not playing politics', I wonder what you could have done with an official position..." he joked in all seriousness. That got Bardock to smile back, and Trunks clasped his arm in farewell.

He gave Toma words of encouragement also, knowing he was leaving his father's life here with 'the old guard'. It was Kakarot though, who truly bore most of the burden for defending the King.

"If there are any among us capable of miracles, it's you Kakarot" Trunks told him firmly, "My father is always safest when at your side. Just, ah, maybe don't tell him I said that..." Trunks faltered a tiny bit, realizing how Vegeta would take such a statement. Kakarot started to grin at him, but Bardock interrupted any further words.

"Time's running short now, you need to be on the ship, your highness" he urged them. It wasn't a common thing for Bardock to actually use titles with him, so it got Trunks' attention. He nodded, and they all broke away to get on board. He made himself not look back, though he noticed Gohan did. Taking his bond mate's hand, the prince pulled it gently to him. Gohan was still looking out the door as it sealed, and squeezing Trunks' hand at the same time.

When the hatch pressurized, and there was nothing left to see, Gohan turned around. Trunks was all that mattered now. He had been the center of Gohan's world for a long time anyway. He needed to steel himself, to be everything a young, outcast prince could depend on. Pulling Trunks into his arms, they didn't kiss, but hugged tightly.

"Where are our families?" Katsu asked Bulma in the background.

"You'll be reunited with them when we get to our destination. Unfortunately, the logistics of them meeting us here couldn't work out. They'll be in one of the other ships" Bulma explained as she slid into the pilot's chair.

"Did...many of our fathers choose to stay?..." Katsu asked next.

"Actually, Bardock urged them to remain on planet, so there would still be some supporters left after the exile. Things are going to be really dicey here afterward, they're probably getting the short end of the stick by staying and fighting" Bulma explained rather sadly.

Some indicator triggered in the main console of the ship, and count down was officially initiated.

"Buckle up guys, it's going to be pretty bumpy until we clear the atmosphere" she ordered, and they all hurried to obey.

~/~

Bardock, Toma, and Kakarot had moved to the upper rings of the arena, to escape the blast from take off. A small, timer-like beeping sounded from Bardock's comm-link, right as the ship's main engines engaged.

"So, why did you help us send off the brats like this?" Bardock asked his son without turning.

"Sometimes the best way to serve your King is to defy him..." Kakarot muttered. Both Toma and Bardock looked over to him at that.

"I did listen to you occasionally, you know. Besides, we can't wait around for the future to change anymore" the King's bond mate said with a sigh. The three of them stood with their arms crossed, watching the night sky as the prince's ship sped away. A second timer went off in Bardock's ear right after Kakarot's words.

The exile rose in a thousand fiery trails around them, from all over the city. Half breeds and their human mothers filled any ship that they could get their hands on. Many had been provided by Bulma, and many others were single pods from the old days. They all lifted off as one, since there would never have been any hiding this wave.

The three saiyans watched the sky fill with streaks of fire as the apocalypse was fled.

"You two should go back to bed, I'll take it from here" Kakarot said after a moment, wrapping his tail around his waist.

"What do you mean?" Bardock questioned.

"I mean, I still dream of dying, even will all the changes... I need to be the one to take the fall for this, trust me" he gestured toward the exodus with determination. "Don't worry, there won't be much more than a few drunken idiots taking pot-shots. It was never about the half breeds."

Bardock nodded solemnly, watching his son scan the potential field of combat with expertise.

"We'll leave you to it then, if that's the way it has to be" he relented.

"Just tell me one thing" Kakarot paused, a smile creeping over his face, "Do the others know they're being used as a shield for the prince's escape?" he questioned knowingly. Bardock huffed.

"They weren't given an option."

~/~

Inside the lead ship of the exile, Trunks and Gohan couldn't see the other vessels behind them. Radar indicated they were there, and let them see the brief defense Kakarot had to give for their escape. Once they were well and truly away from the planet, Bulma set the ship to autopilot and advised them all to get some rest.

There was no way that Trunks was going to be able to sleep though. They had their own room, as this ship was fairly large. The prince found himself looking out the window again, for a long time.

"It's not so different from before," Gohan whispered, wrapping his arms around him, "We _will_ be back..."

"I know," Trunks said softly, still staring at the stars "...I just don't remember space feeling this cold last time."


	14. Chapter 14 - Conflagration

Vegeta stared out the window, over the still dark cityscape. He would never have believed that Kakarot would support a plan of running rather than fighting. It seemed that Bulma had been much more central to it than he had though. There wasn't really much point in thinking too deeply about the woman's motivations. She and their son were gone now...safe... At least _for_ now.

The King's tail flicked back and forth while he remembered the conversation he and Trunks had when the exile was first announced.

_"__I suppose you want me to explain myself" Vegeta had said tiredly. He purposefully never thought too hard about the amount of power each of them had in relation to one another. Gohan's indifference to his attack a moment ago angered him, but at the same time, gave him hope..._

_"__No, father. I understand" Trunks told him with a look of quiet knowing. The King regarded him with a different gaze upon hearing that. _

_"__Gohan... His anger is not necessarily misplaced, it's just that he cares for certain things quite deeply. Myself being one of them. But I do understand, father, it's just paper, just words. It doesn't make it true" Trunks stared back at him without flinching, and let the proclamation fall to the floor with an absent toss. "I'm still your son, and no matter what takes place here, I'll always do my best to make sure our people remember the name Vegeta" he said with conviction._

_The young prince bowed then, taking a knee in front of the King's chair. Vegeta felt the silly urge to do something almost human, like hug the brat... Instead he placed a hand on Trunks' head._

_"__I should have given it to you too..." he found himself saying, knowing it hadn't exactly been Trunks' choice to be born a half breed. His fully grown son had grinned up at him then, telling him in all seriousness, _

_"__It's alright, we both know mother would never have allowed it."_

He should have gone ahead and hugged the brat, he saw that now. Trunks hadn't seemed too disappointed though. As the glow of the first of vegeta-sei's suns began to stir on the horizon, Vegeta wished his son luck. He wished them all luck.

Vegeta had been just a whelp, a small cub when he assumed the throne upon his father's death. He took comfort in the fact that Trunks was much more ready than he had been. As he steeled himself to whatever this day might bring, he realized he had one last wish.

He wished for his son to get to know the satisfaction of revenge, just as _he_ had all those years ago.

~/~

When they awoke to their third day of travel, a small light was flashing on the ship's instrument panel. They had a message. Earth was still weeks away from being reached, even with the increased speed of Bulma's modifications. Gohan's first thought was that it would be a communication from Bardock, even though they were 'technically' forbidden.

When Bulma hit the button to play it, a very elderly male with glasses came on the screen.

"Uh, darling, I don't mean to alarm you" he said while obviously pressing buttons and flipping switches, "But earth seems to have come under a bit of an attack..."

In the background, a female voice was calling 'here kitty, kitty' off screen while the entire picture shook. Chunks of plaster cracked and fell from the ceiling after what must have been an explosion.

"When we detected the ships, the saiyan emissary was confident they could handle it...but seeing as how they've just been wiped out, your mother and I are heading down to the bunker, just to be safe" he elaborated. "I'm sorry I don't have more info for you dear, but their technology is rather adv-..."

The transmission began to be streaked with static, the audio cutting in and out.

"...Won't get to...but it..."

"...Organization..."

"...When you get here..."

And then it ended entirely, leaving the room in stunned silence for a moment.

"Shit" Aaron said with feeling. Bulma looked a little pale, but determination was setting in right away. She maneuvered her chair closer to the console and began getting to work. Trunks wasn't going to disturb her until she came out of that state on her own.

A soft sound of someone definitely trying not to cry caught Trunks' ear. He turned to find Aaron leaning heavily on Cumin, emotion clearly overtaking him. It was then that he remembered Aaron's father had been last stationed on earth.

"He went in battle, there is nothing more noble" Cumin seemed to be trying to help, but not really sure how. A warrior's death was usually met with a stoic respect, if not anger and retribution. Tears were certainly not a common occurrence among saiyans.

Trunks commiserated with him all too well, fearing they both would have lost fathers to this conflict before it was over. He placed a hand on Aaron's shoulder, intending to offer him some comfort as well. His attendant looked up to him, holding back sobs, but not the moisture from his eyes.

Before Trunks could open his mouth though, a burst of power so intense it could barely be fathomed hit his senses. Aaron must have felt it too, judging from the shock on his face. Both of them, all of them, turned their heads back toward vegeta-sei.

Broly.

It, _he_, was so terrifyingly strong that Trunks could barely distinguish the super saiyan powers of his father and Kakarot. Everyone froze, their focus being invaded by the reality of what they were feeling. Trunks hadn't been expecting to be able to feel the power of the battle, not from this far away. At this rate, he wondered if they would be able to feel Broly from earth...

And then it was over.

The sharp, acrid smell of _fear_ reached Trunks' nose before he could even fully grasp the situation. Kakarot was dead. His father was dead. Their powers were snuffed out so quickly...and only Broly's remained. His ki continued to pulse and challenge the universe itself afterward, making a cold sensation settle in the pit of the prince's stomach.

He couldn't give in though. Trunks was royalty, and he had readied himself for this day, however unwillingly, ever since Gohan's vision. They were on their own, and what was left of his people would look to him now. He squeezed Aaron's shoulder, his hand still resting on it since everything had happened _that_ quickly.

"Many fathers have been lost today" he told him, feeling tears running down his own face as well, "Their memories live on in us, and we will fight to keep them alive."

The ceremonial words didn't seem quite strong enough to convey the depth of what Trunks was feeling. He wasn't sure he could have put a name to his emotions though, even if he'd tried. Aaron nodded, and the prince let him go back to the arms of his bond mate. He had to admit, that looked like a good idea.

Gohan had just lost a father himself too, as well as the sire that raised him. Trunks expected him to be rather shaken. That wasn't what he saw in his face upon turning though. His husband slowly got on one knee in front of him, sorrow and stubbornness warring within him.

"_You_ are my King now..." Gohan told him, the fierce loss they all felt showing through in his tone. Trunks felt his tears dry up under the steadiness, the love and devotion in Gohan's gaze.

"Wait, what?" Bulma's head finally whipped around toward them, taking in all their postures, their tears, and her son's firming resolve. She knew what must have happened before Trunks even answered her, but she needed to hear it for sure.

"It's done" Trunks said softly.

"We couldn't change the future then..." Bulma whispered, almost to herself.

"No" Trunks said more forcefully this time, drawing everyone's attention to him, "We did change it. You're _here_" he said to his mother, "Gohan and I are _here_, the rest of the half breeds are safe. This is infinitely better than it would have been" he contradicted, watching them all closely.

There was strength in the prince's manner; he hadn't broken under the strain. Trunks knew just being strong wasn't good enough though. The saiyans, and the half breeds by extension, were exceedingly strong. They didn't need that. What they needed was a true _leader_.

When Bulma saw the spark of understanding in her son's eyes, she was proud to have ventured off into unknown space all those years ago.

"Of course, son" she gave Trunks a small smile, still sad, but in control.

"That we knew it was coming doesn't change the fact that they _will pay_..." the prince said firmly, his fists clenching.

Knowing that the rest of those exiled would have felt what happened, Trunks initiated a mass communication with the other ships. He could only risk the barest of details over a transmission in space though. They had followed along willingly enough with Bardock's minimalist orders before this.

No one questioned Bardock's previous decision not to tell them the true depth of what was happening. Respect _earned_ among saiyans would always continued to be bestowed, even after death.

~/~

Bardock crouched against the wall, surprised to be alive. He and Toma had been blasted backward by the power of Broly _simply transforming_. This... This was nothing like what he had seen. It was almost unfair, that the time they'd used to grow stronger had let their foe become so much more as well.

"Ah, and here we have the great _seer_, Bardock" Paragus smirked as he surveyed the room. What was left of Kakarot and the King's bodies were still bleeding out on the carpet as Broly sat in the throne. It usually miffed Bardock to have the thing he be known for be the one skill completely out of his control. He bit his tongue and stilled his every reaction in that moment though.

He didn't answer Paragus, just kept his eyes on the real threat. The lighting in the palace's main hall flickered as the traitor walked toward him. Who knew what all had been damaged in that blast... Toma was conscious a few feet away, but in rough shape and bleeding pretty badly.

"Seems you're getting a bit, _rusty_" Paragus gloated. Since this was the end, Bardock went ahead and looked away from Broly after he powered down. The male didn't need to be transformed to do them in, so it made no real difference.

"If you're going to kill us, do it with ki and not bad jokes" Bardock said gruffly, grimacing the entire time.

"If?" Paragus said as though the word were a ridiculous notion, "Why in the light of the moon would I _not_ kill you?" He was certainly enjoying his victory, relishing these moments for all they were worth.

"You wouldn't" Bardock shook his head, meaning Paragus wouldn't not kill them, "We'll never _serve_ _you_." The disgust in his voice seemed to offend Paragus at first, and Bardock hoped they'd get a quick death if they angered him into it...

"You know, I've learned a thing or two in the courts, all these years. _Appearances_ can be deceiving...but sometimes, they're important..." the male tapped his finger against his cheek as if in deep thought. He looked Bardock over, calculating, and glanced over to Toma as well.

"Raw power is all well and good, but sometimes these kinds of things can leave, divisions, in a populace" Paragus finally spoke, his eyes drilling into the crouching male. "I will make you this deal, Bardock, trusted adviser to the former King... You and your bond mate will publicly declare your loyalty to me and my son, urging all others to do the same. You will also testify to the fact we all know, that your own son was far stronger than the King he served. You will lay out for them just how much of a mockery that line had already become. In exchange for this, I will let you and your bond mate live" he said in a haughty, self-satisfied tone. He clearly seemed to think he was offering them an extremely enticing deal.  
Bardock could feel the bile coming up in his stomach just thinking about it.

"Never. Fuck you" he spat out, willing himself back from physically lunging at Paragus. In the background, Bardock could see Broly get up and descend the throne, coming to his father's side. Eerily, the male never said a word the entire time. Bardock was beginning to think there was definitely something abnormal in his behavior... Paragus pressed his splayed fingers together, resting them against his lips for a second, as if Bardock was being troublesome.

When he lowered his hands, he bent down to Bardock, whispering, though there were nothing but corpses around the four of them.

"You think I don't know _exactly_ where those brats went?..." he gazed into Bardock's eyes with certainty of success. A chill ran down the wounded male's spine.

"Since when do you care about that?" he responded, letting Paragus know that his true motives had been understood for a while.

"What I _care_ about is power, and consolidating it" the sire of the new royal line chuckled a little, "I am not burdened by the same _weaknesses_ that you are."

Broly moved from standing right behind his father, and toward Toma. Bardock's eyes flicked over to him of their own accord. Toma wiped the blood off the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, and gave a hard, challenging stare to the massive male. Broly returned the gaze, not attacking yet, though the threat was certainly implied. The most terrifying thing about it was the utter emptiness in the new King's eyes.

" ... Fine. We'll do it" Bardock felt something physically snap inside his chest to agree to such a thing. It was probably his pride. He would have preferred that he and Toma got to go down fighting right now, but the brats... He only hoped Toma would forgive him for agreeing to it.

Paragus grinned, the smile seeming slightly deranged for it's intensity on his face.

"Good lad" he said condescendingly, rising slowly back to his full height.

It didn't take long for the Purists to finish sweeping the castle. Nearly the entire population had felt first Kakarot, and then the King be killed. It took a great deal of fight out of them, those that could sense ki anyway. Of course the other side of that was the awe in what they had felt of Broly's power.

Bardock wasn't so sure Paragus really needed their cooperation to get a majority, not with that kind of strength. But he wasn't about to say anything to that effect afterward, since now he knew just how far the male was willing to go. Attacking earth just to wipe out a few hundred cubs not capable of putting a dent in his son would be ridiculous of Paragus.

Watching their new King's manner, and Paragus' preening, Bardock wasn't sure _rationality_ entered into it a whole lot though...

~/~

They would have no choice but to land all at once. There were no other life sustaining planets near earth for them to leave the humans and cubs on. It made Trunks very nervous to risk this kind of maneuver. He was being counted on to make the final decision though. The prince had to take into account the fact that whoever had taken over earth might put up a strong fight.

"But the saiyan emissary was only a couple of guys, we have almost eight hundred half breeds with us, this will be a piece of cake" Bulma argued with him.

"There aren't eight hundred. I am not ordering _children_, who may have no desire to fight, into combat" Trunks said firmly, arguing back. He found sometimes it helped to put things in his mother's human terms to make her understand.

"Ok, ok... But still, that leaves, like, at least three hundred or so who would be considered 'of age' left. I don't care who these guys are, they're not going to be able to withstand that" Bulma was supremely confident in all their abilities, not just her own. Unfortunately, Trunks thought her own past gallivanting around her planet and then the universe when she was young, was distorting her perception.

"Nevertheless, I am not going to leave the mothers and young children to fend for themselves while everyone else attacks. What if the battle goes on for a few days? It would be entirely probable, and a good strategy for them, to attack our base camp" Trunks pointed out.

"I think it's highly improbable for the fight to take more than a few minutes... I hacked back into earth's satellite feeds, and they really only took over a few major cities. They're concentrated around those, and probably just ruling most of the planet with _fear_ of their power" Bulma reiterated.

They had been going over details, strategies, all the intelligence they could gather for weeks. They would arrive at earth in just a few days now. Aaron, Cumin, and Katsu stayed at the ready for anything that might be needed during the planning. They were still Trunks' attendants, even in exile. Of course Cumin hadn't been expected to come, but it wasn't necessarily Trunks that he was here _because of_.

Gohan was glad to see the loyalty to the old ways that the two young bond mates had displayed. He was a bit concerned though, for their image of Trunks after all this. Watching Bulma argue with him and treat him like, well, like her _son_, couldn't be allowed to go on indefinitely. Gohan realized this was a sort of 'behind closed doors' scenario, but he made sure to address the issue with Bulma later after everyone else was asleep.

"You know, eventually you're going to just have to trust him" he said softly the next time they were alone, by way of addressing the situation. The blue haired woman turned and gave him a look.

"I don't even get three weeks without you going all 'Bardock' on me?" she kind of sighed and huffed, not exactly acting remorseful. Gohan wasn't going to be thrown off by the compliment though.

"How can he become their leader if he's following you?" Gohan asked her, point blank.

"Oh my god..." Bulma rubbed her temple, "Listen buster, I know how to play the game, don't you worry about that" she scolded Gohan, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly. Gohan's were already crossed, but he didn't back down, even though he knew what Bulma was capable of.

"I just needed to make sure... That you understand you can't treat him like you did the King" Gohan said evenly. Bulma raised an eyebrow at him.

"I know you and Vegeta had your differences, and that he probably needed the push back...but Trunks is really only leader by default here, I think we all know that" he said softly. Their prince's mother was obviously looking at Gohan in a different light, after hearing him say that. Gohan went on.

"Earth has a King, one we're trying to help. All the human mothers have a loyalty to him still, at least a residual one. And their children have a strong pull to go along with them. Trunks needs this moment, to shine, to lead, or he risks losing the very thing that makes him a prince, which is his people" Gohan reminded her.

"And you think I'm getting in the way of that?" she questioned, though it seemed more academic than an admission.

"It's not that he doesn't need your advice or opinion, it's just that once you've given it, you need to defer. At least in public" Gohan quickly added, knowing that was not Bulma's specialty...

"You know, I was going to get upset at you for barging in here, saying these things _to me_... But sometimes I forget you didn't have a mother..." Bulma said softly. Gohan's spine stiffened, not sure if she was meaning to insult him with that.

"I will _never_ hesitate, to bring any of the _males_ in my life down a peg if they need it...in private" Bulma assured him. "Not that _that's_ what I'm even doing right now, mind you. Did you ever think it could be that Trunks looks even stronger to his attendants for standing up to me?" she asked him. "You think those brats haven't been passing on their take of him to the general crowd of half breeds for years now? We're actually on the same side here, Gohan" she said firmly.

Gohan wasn't sure what to say to her, but he felt confident that she was telling the truth when she said they were on the same side. He regarded her with an easing posture, uncrossing his arms and indicating his agreement. Bulma smiled at him, nodding.

"I'm glad you're thinking along those lines though, Gohan. My son is lucky to be married to a guy like you" she said. "In a few more years, the two of you will be political forces to be reckoned with, not just physical ones."

~/~

They had blasters. Their enemy was made up of a mix of species, some Trunks knew weren't strong enough for ki manipulation. Blasts came their way, nonetheless. Those left with the ships had to give an active defense, to keep them from being blown away. Seeing the caliber of force they were up against, both Gohan and Trunks went super saiyan at nearly the same time.

The lesser soldiers were taken care of easily by them, but not the modified ones. It seemed one out of every dozen or so had the laser mechanisms grafted right into their limbs. Trunks had never heard of a force that used these kinds of tactics. They were faster and stronger than what he had expected, in all honesty.

The half breeds held their own, but it was a fight. He could see why the humans had succumbed so quickly. It was taking a couple of the non-super saiyan half breeds at a time to dispose of the modified soldiers. Even though he concentrated on taking out his own opponents, Trunks tried to keep an eye on the battlefield in general.

Since he and Gohan were such beacons for attack, they tried to keep their distance from the ships. Weird chemical smells, mixed with blood and burning, drifted in the air as they fought. The stream of minions couldn't be endless though. Buildings and trees caught in the exchange of blasts were smoldering, leaving a haze in the air.

Eventually, the numbers of those attacking dwindled, leaving some of those on the field with no one to fight.

"Stay sharp!" Trunks ordered, his command carrying to all ears with heightened senses. He and Gohan scanned the area and skies as well. There were two other cities' worth of occupiers who could be used as reinforcements.

"Are there any wounded?" he called out while Gohan stayed on alert. A few of them had injuries, and Trunks ordered them taken back to the ships. He'd not risk losing any lives they didn't have to.

"Two o'clock!" Gohan yelled, putting them all at the ready again. Being on the ground, Trunks saw every head turn with his to look at the incoming threat. The flying shapes were too far way to make out clearly. Trunks purposefully turned around, checking the opposite direction. Not just soldiers, but an entire ship was coming into view, approaching them from behind.

"Gohan, stay here! We need a super saiyan on each side!" he ordered, shooting across the space between them and their own ships, to intercept the encroaching one. As he flew over their encampment, Trunks noticed his mother sitting in the cockpit of a huge, mechanized suit of armor.

"Oh my god, what does she think she's doing?" he cursed to himself. He couldn't spare the effort to go tell her to take cover with the other humans though. Shit. Trunks did his best to put it out of his mind... Then he heard the deep, reverberating '_thwum_' of a hugely focused energy beam go shooting through the air.

It struck the side of the incoming ship, blowing a huge section out of it. Trunks only had a moment to stare in pride at the glowing aftereffect from his mother's attack. Since the ship was going down, all it's inhabitants came pouring out of it, swarming in the air and heading straight for them.

That, that was a lot of soldiers... The prince could feel some of the others from Gohan's side coming over to help him...but would it be enough... Hoping to take out a good chunk of the weaker ones while they were still clustered around the ship, Trunks fired a wide area attack at it. Many of the smaller dots fell out of the sky after being hit. Apparently there were a higher percentage of the stronger version in this batch though.

Aiming for the safety of their own ships, Trunks charged, leaving them a good distance behind. The other half breeds filled in the space behind him, cleaning up those who got past. It was working. And like all things, it kept working, until it didn't.

Trunks felt Gohan's power surge, pushing at the boundaries of his maximum. He was tempted to look back and see what was happening to his bond mate, but he didn't dare. He felt he understood a moment later, when the modified soldier he went to attack next didn't crumple under his fist like it should.

The knee that connected with his stomach right after that nearly knocked him out of the air. Actually, he did fall a few feet at the unexpected pain, but managed to hold himself together. With a roar he lunged at the hardened enemy, forming all the ki he could in his palms. A flash and blast that should have incinerated a small planet left half this thing still _existing_, though it did die and fall.

At first Trunks continued to take out smaller opponents around him, but then made a conscious choice to let some of them slip past. The hardened ones, there was little chance of non-super saiyans being _able_ to defeat them... The prince sought out his larger prey, trusting the warriors behind him to handle the rest. He could feel Gohan's power still pulsing, and it comforted him.

Then the third round began. Trunks tried to stay out of the way while still fighting, as his mother in her suit fired blast after blast at the new ships.

Who the hell were these guys anyway?

There was obviously a charging delay between Bulma's shots, but she managed to take down the vessels on each side before they got close.

The individual soldiers still had to be dealt with though. By necessity, stronger and stronger enemies began slipping through Trunks' defense as his energy waned. He knew those behind him must be getting tired too, but there was only so much he could do. Taking a rare second, Trunks glanced backwards to survey the field.

There was only one line of defense left behind him now. Those who had been covering what he couldn't, had pulled back. They had merged with the ranks of those defending the ships themselves. There were more wounded, possibly dead, on the ground than he had ever hoped to see. His anger rising, Trunks let it power the surge of ki through his veins, taking down enemies with renewed vigor.

At least for a while.

The number of _minor_ injuries Trunks was fighting with began adding up into real wounds all of a sudden. Shit, this was _not_ good. He felt the energy in his limbs fluctuate badly, and then one of the hardened soldiers was suddenly _past_ him. Refusing to give up, Trunks turned and chased him, trying to get between it and their base again.

Everyone was out of the ships now.

His mother was using the strength of the suit to grab individual soldiers and crush them in its grip. Small half saiyan children were swarming over the field immediately in front. Trunks had time to take it all in, because he already knew he wasn't going to make it. He was losing speed while his prey stayed steady. He still tried though, still pushed himself as hard as he could, as he had always been taught.

One more flicker, and he lost super saiyan.

As he fell, there was a wild mane of red hair that caught his eye, riding the back of a soldier and stabbing it in the throat repeatedly. He saw little Bran get ripped off the dying enemy's back by a different one, and could do nothing about it. A human that must have been her mother, because of the matching hair, screamed. It was a surprising noise to hear come from one of them, because it was a scream of challenge. Wait, was she honestly trying to fight against these aliens with a sword?... All the human mothers had encouraged them to take back their home world, but he didn't think they were _crazy_.

Trunks hit the ground hard, because he'd been looking at the battle, and not the dirt rushing up to meet him. He wasn't sure he could handle seeing anymore at this rate... How could there have been a force like this in the universe without them knowing about it? He just prayed Gohan kept fighting, and didn't do something stupid like try to check on him.

The prince rolled and tried to push himself up onto his elbows. He was still unwilling to yield, though he was in more pain than he had known was possible. As Trunks lifted his gaze, he was just in time to see the undeniable proof of his parents' genius, verified for all time. A golden flash of light burst like an explosion, as Casey went super saiyan right in front of him.

Trunks found a cheer rising from his throat involuntarily. The soldier he had been chasing was _decimated_ by Casey before it could lay a hand on his sister. He remembered all too well the unbelievable rush of that first transformation. The power in it was nearly infinite, when you broke that barrier for the first time.

The very memory itself seemed to give him strength. Trunks pushed himself up slowly, knowing he would draw the enemy's attention eventually, just laying out here. The hand he felt grab him turned out to be one of the other half breeds though. He let himself be helped to the ships as Casey fought back an ever wider space between them and the incoming wave.

Sitting with the other wounded, Trunks felt outward with amazement, that Gohan was still going strong. He was proud and grateful too, that he'd held the line as he was ordered. Trunks was sure his bond mate was keeping a bead on his ki, and would have felt him fall. Perhaps if Casey hadn't transformed, then Gohan's resolve would have wavered...but that was neither here nor now.

Once his wounds were bound, Trunks began slowly helping to bandage up any of the injured around him that he could. There were not going to be enough tanks for everyone. Their ship had a few on it, being Bulma's, but most of the others they came in would not. With the saiyan emissary destroyed, Trunks doubted there were any others left on the planet.

While he was trying to estimate rotations in his head, and keep track of the battle at the same time, another flash of power hit him. From Gohan's side, Aaron had just gone super saiyan as well. Trunks couldn't help smile, though he hoped it hadn't been at the threat of him losing his family as well...

The renewal of fresh super saiyan strength on their side ended the battle shortly after that. Bulma climbed out of her suit as things were ending, since it was running dangerously low on power. She had a shocked look on her face as she surveyed how many of their side were down, and the damage that had been done. Trunks met her eyes sadly, and she made her way over to him.

"I..." she touched one of Trunks' bandages gingerly, "I was wrong..."

Trunks shook his head, turning hers toward Casey, who was returning from the field now.

"No, you were right..." he said, giving her a nod. Understanding flicked between them, and Bulma nodded back. Her eyes were watering as Casey landed right in front of them. Sensing this was a moment for the prince to handle, she excused herself to get the tanks fired up.

It seemed too quiet now, without the fighting going on all around them. Casey looked like he was about to open his mouth to speak, but a call rang through the air, interrupting him.

"_Trunks_!" Gohan yelled, the urgency in his voice belying that this was no ordinary request. Catching Casey's eye, Trunks motioned for him to follow, in case it was trouble. Receiving a nod, the prince began trotting over to Gohan's position, that being as much speed as his body could handle.

As they rounded the last ship and Gohan came into view, Trunks' chest constricted. Aaron was still super saiyan, hunched over the ground, with Cumin's body laying beneath him.

"No..." he breathed out, emotion giving him the will to overpower his pain. When he got closer, he could see Cumin was alive by only a thread. A thread that was fraying fast. Blood coated his lips and ran out his mouth, his eyes blinking slowly. Aaron sobbed over him, his power flickering several times before going out completely.

Gohan looked at him helplessly, knowing the mutilation of his chest and gut was beyond even the tanks. Trunks dropped to his knees beside them, putting an arm over Aaron's back and taking Cumin's hand.

"Yours is the highest honor among us-" Trunks began to tell the dying male, making Aaron's sobs turn into a drawn out wail. Before the prince could finish though, a small voice interrupted him.

"I can help him!" Bran was standing next to her brother, having followed when she saw them leave. Her dress was smeared with blood and dirt, and she had a knife gripped by her tail as it wrapped around her waist. This version of the child was a far cry from the toddler he and Gohan had pulled off her dying brother's chest...

"Bran!" her mother seemed ready to scold her, coming up on them as well.

"No" Casey said firmly, still glowing with super saiyan power, "Things are different now, she should help anyone she can." He and his mother were still in the middle of a staring contest when Bran shot forward, waiting for neither of them. Trunks could feel the last of Cumin's life slipping away through his fingers as she placed her hands on him.

Suddenly the ebbing stopped, and Bran's hands glowed with a blue, flowing light. The glow spread over Cumin, and he gasped, his eyes blinking more rapidly. Trunks' arm began tingling where he held Cumin's hand. He watched with fascination as the cuts and burns on it healed right along with the more massive damage to Cumin's body.

Aaron stopped crying abruptly, as if holding his breath. The prince could see the healing spreading to his other attendant too, where they touched.

"He's not a half breed..." she said curiously, her eyes still closed as if in concentration.

"He's my bond mate" Aaron said forcefully, to which Bran nodded, eyes still closed. After what felt like only a few minutes, she removed her hands, and the light began to fade away. Bran turned and opened her eyes, the blue glow of her power still lingering in them.

"Thank you" Trunks said earnestly, putting his hand on her shoulder as Cumin sputtered back to full consciousness.

"You're welcome, prince Trunks" she said, smiling happily.

"You're supposed to say, 'your highness', Bran" her mother pointed out, eyeing the girl, "And you're supposed to clean your blade when the battle's over too" she further admonished. Trunks noticed her sword was already sheathed, and he could bet it hadn't been done without cleaning first.

"Bran, can you still do any more healing today?" Trunks asked as she was wiping her blade on the grass dutifully.

"Aye, I can do more. I heal Casey all the time" she said confidently.

"I would be in your debt, if you could save all those possible" he said with conviction. He had nothing specific to really offer her in the moment, but he knew her family would understand the worth of that debt, even if she did not. He was pretty sure from the glint in her eyes when she nodded, that there was at least some understanding in her. With her mother in tow, she trotted off to go pick out the worst of the wounded.


	15. Chapter 15 - Some Have Greatness

"You're hurt pretty badly" Gohan said gently.

"I think I got a bit of a pick-me-up from Bran's glow actually, I'll be alright" the prince tried to downplay Gohan's concerns. There were others hurt far worse, in much greater need of the tanks than he was.

"As our prince, we need you to be strong..." Gohan said softly, possibly worrying about another attack.

"We _need_ to not lose as many as possible" Trunks replied firmly. His manner softened as he said it though. "We need to know just how many we've already lost..." he sighed, feeling ultimately responsible.

"I'll begin a count then, your highness" Casey bowed. After he rose from it, the glow finally faded away from him, revealing he was not without injury himself.

"Thank you, your service is greatly appreciated" Trunks said.

"I'll help too" Aaron suddenly said from beside him. He and Cumin had been clinging to each other for a moment, but the fully healed male was out of trouble now.

"Yeah, it's not over yet" Cumin added, seeming to take his near death much better than Aaron had. He gave an encouraging squeeze to his bond mate as he wiped the blood off his face.

"How has your own fared?" Gohan asked Casey while their attendants stood.

"I'm not bound, yet" Casey seemed contemplative, watching the two, "There were none of a level with me...but perhaps that shouldn't have been the barrier we thought it was" he said, obviously seeing the disparity in Aaron and Cumin's power. He didn't say who the 'we' was. Trunks was beginning to wonder whether it was the male's father, or mother, after what he'd seen today.

Trunks and Gohan both nodded, as if approving of Casey's revelation. The three younger half breeds then left to begin the accounting. As the prince watched them go, he could see Bran shooing older males away from a near corpse. He recognized one of those trying to give aid farther down the field as Katsu. The brat seemed to have survived relatively unscathed, so Trunks was glad.

His youngest attendant had a look of sheer wonderment on his face while he watched Bran's healing work. Katsu wasn't looking at the injured male, but at her. Trunks could tell some words were exchanged between them, and Bran's tail waved happily behind her. Then her mother drew her sword half out of it's sheath, and Katsu grinned, then scurried away. He could bet that was going to be trouble later, but he didn't have time to dwell on it now.

Turning toward his prince, Gohan stood and offered Trunks a hand up. It was unusual for the prince to remain kneeling for a conversation when he didn't need to. Gohan didn't want to draw any more attention to it than necessary though, so he had remained on his knees as well.

The prince grunted as he was pulled to his feet, leaning against Gohan slightly while he got his balance.

"You're worse than you're admitting" Gohan chided him softly, so no others could hear.

"There are plenty worse than me, ones who can't even walk" the prince argued.

"To be blunt, _your highness_, if you only had the level of experience they do, you wouldn't be either" Gohan contradicted him.

"Well then take me somewhere I can rest out of the way, _guard_" Trunks replied, refusing to be put in a tank. "I'll not go in while there are still those clinging to their lives" he outright commanded, waving Gohan off. He heard his bond mate sighing deeply behind him as he turned to head back to the main encampment.

Gohan caught up to him quickly though, and took his place at his side.

"You'll end up with scars you know" he said, though he knew the conversation was already over. Trunks snorted.

"I'll just be stronger for it, you know that" he said levelly. "A lot of us will, after today... Which brings us to the next issue at hand, who the hell were these guys? And why would a force this strong care about earth?..." the prince muttered as he walked.

"I think the information gathering will have to wait, until after we've eaten and healed" Gohan reminded him. Sometimes the prince was entirely too much like his mother. Trunks just nodded, but Gohan could see the wheels were already turning.

"How is it going?" they asked Bulma once they got back to their ship, which all the others were clustered around. Trunks was glad to see the few tanks here all had occupants already.

"I'm not sure we'll be able to save them all..." Bulma admitted quietly. "I already contacted my dad, and he's on his way with a few more tanks, but West City is pretty far from here."

"Where are the gravely injured?" Trunks asked, and Gohan knew right away there'd be no stopping him from preforming each and every right himself. It was only a handful of words, as saiyans weren't particularly eloquent, but Trunks spoke them with conviction. Gohan stayed at his side while he looked each one in the eye and thanked them, promised their remembrance if they died.

He was tearing up himself by the time they were done. It was obvious the others attending to these wounded were moved as well. He didn't know how Trunks managed to hold it together. When they reached the end, Gohan had had enough, and firmly grasped the prince's shoulders.

"Now you're going to rest" he said, brooking no arguments.

"But the dead need-"

"I'll do that. Let me help you, Trunks. You've given your presence to those on the edge, the dead don't need it like they did" Gohan urged him to finally sit, and to his surprise, the prince actually complied.

"Report back to me with the number, and their names" he ordered, keeping himself upright with his hands on his knees as he sat. It was important to him, that this be taken seriously. He could imagine what it would feel like to those who had lost loved ones today, and he wanted to honor that. Trunks looked up to Gohan when he didn't get a response, and was surprised by lips meeting his own.

Gohan's kiss was gentle, though still a bit inappropriate considering where they were... Trunks could feel his bond mate's ki checking him over through it, assessing how badly he was really doing.

"Satisfied?" he asked softly as Gohan pulled away.

"Not until you're in a tank" his husband replied immediately, giving him a stern look.

"Tend to the dead, Gohan. I'll be fine" the prince answered him with a stubbornness to beat all others. After Gohan finally left, Trunks was brought some juice by a small cub. Thanking the whelp, he let himself lay down, deciding there was really no point in not resting while he could.

When he next opened his eyes, there was a respirator in his mouth, and his vision was blurred by blue fluid.

Trunks was pissed.

He could feel his power wanting to surge with his anger, but he held it in check, knowing it could damage the tank. He also knew there would be an indicator to let them know he had woken. Sure enough, the liquid began to drain a moment later. Trunks didn't even try to conceal the fury he felt when his eyes landed on Gohan.

"The others were out of danger" his bond mate said immediately as the hatch opened. Trunks' eyes squinted at him, unable to believe such a statement, but wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt. He wanted it to be that Gohan had not disobeyed him, more than anything.

"After you had been passed out for quite a while, Bulma's father arrived with more healing tanks. We were able to save the rest by rotating males through a few hours at a time. Your ki was stable while you slept, but you didn't wake up... It had been over a day when we finally put you in, and that was last night" Gohan explained rapidly, kneeling at his prince's feet. It had scared him that Trunks was out for so long. He knew the prince would be upset though, if others were let to die out of fear and not facts.

Hearing how long it had actually been since he first closed his eyes, a good deal of the anger drained out of Trunks. Another half breed was already being placed in the tank he'd just come out of, so he could see they were being diligent. He sighed, and placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder, forgiving him with a squeeze. He hadn't actually done anything wrong, so Trunks was comforted by his loyalty.

"Thank you, Gohan" he made sure to tell him, but would give him a more thorough thanking later. "So...what is the final number?" he asked, needing to know.

"...We lost thirty four half breeds, and two humans..." Gohan told him sadly, his posture drooping even as he continued to kneel.

That meant, there would be orphans from this battle.

"Have their bodies already been?..."

"Yes. Well, their families all wished them buried, in the human way. So it's been taken care of, though, I'm sure they'd appreciate a few words from you" Gohan looked up at him morosely. Trunks nodded, and though his stomach growled, he went to dress instead of eat.

Back in his room, Trunks was surprised to have his attendants show up in the middle of him pulling on his pants.

"Here, let us. You should eat" Cumin said right away, handing him a plate of food. Trunks had to admit sometimes it was useful to have the other males around. He found he couldn't quite think of them as brats anymore, after this. The older ones had been taller than him for a while now, but that was something Trunks had resigned himself to accepting long ago.

"Did Gohan send you in here?" he asked as he took the snack.

"A little...but it's our job anyway" Aaron said, pulling out a chest piece more embellished than what Trunks had been going to don. He decided not to waste time fighting them, when he could be chewing. Once the plate was cleaned, his stomach felt slightly better. As his armor went on over his head, Gohan came in the room bearing another plate as well. Trunks eyed it with flaring nostrils, and Gohan handed it over with a smile.

"It's not good to go under on an empty stomach you know" he pretended to scold him, though they all knew he'd had no choice.

"I know... I'll try to be more careful next time" he answered more to tease Gohan than to admit he'd done anything wrong. He didn't expect such a reaction to his words from his attendants.

"A lot of us were very worried for you, your highness, we're glad you survived" Aaron told him with all seriousness. Cumin and Katsu nodded vigorously in agreement, all of them radiating worry.

"I really was fine, it's ok..." Trunks didn't want to dismiss their concern entirely, but he tried to negate the worst of their fears.

"Apparently, when a human passes out and can't be roused, they call it being in a coma" Gohan said from behind him. He had taken up a brush and began running it through the prince's hair. Such grooming was more intimate among saiyans than to be left to attendants.

"A lot of the mothers were upset with Bran's family, for having her heal so many others and not you..." he added, "I made sure they understood though, that it was your own stubbornness that kept them from knowing how bad you were."

Trunks felt his face flush a bit, but he wasn't going to back down from this.

"I'm not a human though, I knew the extent of my own injuries compared to the others" Trunks tried not to sound like a petulant cub, but it was becoming harder as the conversation went on.

"I know" Gohan said, a surprising lack of argument in his tone, "I'm just letting you know, what happened while you were under..."

"It's my job to _protect_ them, not let them die in my name while I sit back and relax" Trunks huffed in annoyance with his bond mate.

"And it's my _job_ to protect _you_" Gohan responded firmly, "I just feel the need to remind you of that."

Trunks had finished the second plate now, and he handed it back with the other to his attendants.

"Leave us, for a bit. We'll be out in a few minutes..." he spoke to them, asking for privacy. They all nodded and obeyed, shuffling out in silence. Gohan continued to fix the rest of Trunks' hair, coming around to place the prince's crown on him as the others left.

"Trunks-" Gohan began once the door closed, his voice already full of emotion.

"Kneel" Trunks cut him off, surprising the older male slightly. Gohan got down on his knees in front of him right away, bowing his head. He felt Trunks' hands slip over his cheeks though, tilting it back up.

"Gohan, I don't want you to die for me" he said softly, meaning every one of the seditious words. Gohan's eyes widened, and he shook his head.

"If this goes badly...keeps going like it has been...you'll be all they have left" Trunks said sadly, brushing his thumbs gently over Gohan's skin.

"No, Trunks, it doesn't work like that" Gohan said, his voice nearly in anguish.

"Gohan, you have the strength-"

"NO" Gohan cut him off, interrupting his prince, stopping him from saying such foolish things. "You don't understand..." Gohan began to cry against Trunks' hands, and the prince let him speak, since he needed to so badly.

"They compare me to Bardock, but, I'm not him. I try, and sometimes, it's enough...but Trunks, I'm not a prince, I'm not... I can't do this like you can. They need _you_" Gohan said with such conviction that it shocked Trunks. He knew Gohan had always taken great pride in being compared to his sire... But to hear him confess his shortcomings was a new, and unpleasant, experience.

"You can't ask that of me, Trunks, that's not what I'm made for, trained for. I'm your bodyguard, and it's my _right_ to die for you" Gohan said passionately, making Trunks tear up a little along with him.

"If it would hurt you to lose me, my prince, it's part of your job to bear it, and lead on" Gohan reminded him firmly, even through his tears, "We're not the only ones anymore. There are others who could take my place if it came to that, but not yours."

It upset Trunks so badly to hear him say that, that he suddenly pushed Gohan away from him, quite forcefully. Getting up, he crossed the room, not wanting to look at his bond mate, but having nothing else to look at. His tail swished behind him as his anger built with no outlet. With his arms crossed over his chest, Trunks turned halfway back, saying almost as an accusation,

"And what makes you think I'm ready for any of this yet?"

It would have sounded more accusatory if his voice hadn't cracked. Upon turning, Trunks could see that Gohan was already moving toward him again. As his bodyguard's arms reached for him, Trunks looked up at him imploringly,

"I still _need_ _you_" he confessed as Gohan enveloped him, and bent to kiss him firmly. Angry, emotional, frustrated tears poured down Trunks' face. When their lips broke apart, Gohan just held him close, not having any words of comfort to give him. This was their new reality, and all they really had was each other. It would be stupid though, not to think it couldn't still change for the worse again.

"I love you" Gohan whispered as both their tears were drying.

"I love you too" Trunks responded right away. He took a deep breath, and let his hold on Gohan go.

"Besides, you can't release me from my oath, you're not the male I swore it to" Gohan looked at him knowingly. Squaring his own shoulders, he silently urged Trunks to pull his strength back around him now. Trunks just looked at him for a moment, then smiled sadly, nodding.

"I guess I'll just have to make really smart decisions then" the prince told him, slowly regaining his composure.

Gohan smiled for him, just as sadly, and said, "I'd advise it."

~/~

As soon as Trunks opened the door of the ship, all eyes turned to him. Then the cheering began. Taken aback by the response, Trunks had to remind himself this was a victory he was presiding over. They had freed earth, fought together as one, and though some had been lost, not all was.

Words. He'd gone 'to sleep' with them running one after another through his mind. He hadn't expected to miss the farewell to those who had been lost. But maybe he could make up for it now... Gohan must have sensed what he needed to do as well. His bond mate bustled their attendants the rest of the way down the ramp ahead of him. They joined the growing crowd while Gohan came and stood at his feet, facing outward.

"When we left vegeta-sei, we had hoped to take refuge on this planet" Trunks began, speaking loudly and letting his voice carry. He had been graced genetically with a deep one, so it helped him now.

"Instead we found it in need of freeing. There is still another planet we are tied closely to, that is under siege, though. Vegeta-sei" he said firmly. He could see the ripple of confusion running through the crowd.

"I am going to share something with you here, that is not common knowledge among our fathers" Trunks said next, keeping all their interests' piqued.

"The saiyans...are a dying race" he declared, watching the disbelief and shock run through hundreds of faces at a time. The saiyans were the strongest warriors in the universe, so how could that be?

"Generations ago, they were already too few, their numbers unsustainable. The program initiated by my parents was not an experiment. It was a last ditch effort. The humans were not even the first race it was tired with, just the first they could mix with successfully..." Trunks laid out more for them than even he was 'supposed' to know. He was being watched with silent, engrossed attention, so he went on without pausing too long.

"Not long after the tests came back compatible, Bardock had a vision" his voice rang out, causing a murmur through those gathered.

"His seeing was not detailed, but precise enough to know that if Kakarot did not start off the program's actual breeding, then the saiyan race would still dwindle to nothing. There was no science to back up how that could be, but Bardock was trusted, and right in all other things. So that is how this all began, we all began" Trunks explained, seeing nods of understanding in the crowd.

"The problem became, when both Bardock and Gohan had nearly identical visions, only a few years ago" the prince hoped the tiredness he felt at that thought didn't carry through in his voice too badly. He also hoped Gohan wouldn't be too upset at him later, for outing that the gift had been passed down to him.

"A male who cared nothing for his race, for nothing but his own greed, was going to single-handedly destroy it all. The power we all felt from our ships on the way here, was Paragus' son, Broly" Trunks gave a name to the faceless fear that had followed them all.

"My father and Gohan's knew for years, that they would meet their ends at the hand of Broly's incredible power. When my father bargained against us, exiled us, it was actually to buy us time, and to save us" the prince's voice wavered as he retold of the elder males' sacrifices.

"We are the only hope the saiyans have left now" he said with conviction, talking over the fear he could see beginning to stir.

"Being super saiyan is not restricted among us, not a miraculous mix of chance and fate. It is my belief, after this battle, that every single half breed will be able to attain it" he declared, letting that sink in for a moment. The murmuring got louder, but this time, it was with a slightly excited edge to it.

"We are not just half breeds, that was never the point. The saiyans, in entirety, have to become a _new_ breed. Five hundred years from now, it must be _us_ the universe thinks of when they hear the word 'saiyan', or it will be of nothing at all..." Trunks informed them, feeling he was really getting through to them.

He was startled by Casey going super saiyan in the middle of the crowd.

Everything stopped.

The prince held his breath as the male began to move toward him, his eyes locked on Trunks'. The crowd parted way in front of him without a sound. Tails flicked in anticipation as the tension mounted, and mothers placed hands on their cubs' shoulders.

Through their few, brief interactions, Trunks didn't really know Casey well as a male. He hoped having saved his life once in the past had made a good impression on him though. Not that he was _intimidated_ by the newly minted super saiyan... It was just that he had the potential to completely rend their budding cohesion apart, if he disagreed with Trunks.

Stopping in the open area below the ramp, Casey stayed back from the foot of it, a good ways away from Gohan.

"My father was an asshole" were not the words Trunks was expecting to hear. Casey went on without stopping though, not giving him time to evaluate if they helped or hurt Trunks' cause.

"But he loved my mother, and he...cared...for us" Casey nodded. "He taught me how to fight, even though we never quite understood each other... That being said, I don't know if I could have pledged loyalty to _any_ saiyan king, if given the choice" Casey declared, the set of his jaw hard and his gaze fiery, "But I would follow _you_, and I would give _you_ my allegiance, if you'll take it" he ended with, his back straight and tailed wrapped tightly.

Trunks nodded in acknowledgment.

"I'll take it" the prince answered gratefully, relief he couldn't begin to describe flooding through him. Aaron left the line up of the general crowd as well, coming over to Casey's side.

"Uh, I can't quite control it as well as he can," he said, motioning toward the other super saiyan, "But, I'd like to give my pledge to you too" Aaron told the prince. He was less commanding in his presence about it, but just as heartfelt.

"Thank you, Aaron. I will accept the pledge of any who wish to give it" Trunks said genuinely, "Whether they are already super saiyans or not."

A stronger rush of talking began to run through the crowd. Trunks prayed that his words would not backfire on him if only a few turned out to be willing. Another figure stepped out from the edge, but who it turned out to be surprised him.

"And what about us?" Casey's mother asked, walking up to her son's side. "Despite what my idiot son thinks" she smacked him upside the head, "Half the reason they don't get along with their fathers is that they're too much alike. When Bulma sold the idea of going to vegeta-sei to us, I was promised an adventure" she said, crossing her arms. "She wasn't wrong, we certainly got it... The thing is, I'm not so sure I can go back to just living as a _human_ now. I think I speak for all the mothers, or at least most, when I say that we'd rather follow you back as well."

Casey let go of super saiyan, and he bowed his head in a bit of shame as his mother disciplined him. He didn't speak out against her words at all though. Looking out over the crowd, many of the humans were nodding in agreement with her.

Trunks felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see his own mother walk down to the general gathering past him. She went over and shook Casey's mom's hand, and then stood beside her. Trunks knew she must have been listening from inside the ship, and was glad to get a nod of approval from her as well.

"I will take the pledge of _any_ who wish to give their loyalty" Trunks amended his previous statement to include the humans. He didn't want to give them the same ceremony that his line had always used, it felt like something new was needed. A mix of both customs.

"All those who wish to pledge now, please take a knee" he said, intending to replace the spilling of blood with that. The entire crowd began shifting around and moving, spreading out in what Trunks considered to be a very good sign. Gohan left his place as it was happening, and joined the others facing him.

"You've already made your pledge, Gohan..." Trunks seemed amused, and admittedly felt a bit alone up there without him.

"That was to a prince. This is to a King" Gohan informed him, lowering to one knee.

It would probably be a bad thing if Trunks got too emotional right now. As it was, he smiled at his bond mate and husband, giving him all the thanks and love he could in it. When he brought his attention up to the rest of the gathering, all present were on their knees.

"As my subjects, you will be expected to obey my commands, and give me the utmost loyalty at all times. This may include dying for me. In return, I will do my utmost to watch over you, and ensure the continuance of our race. These are the terms of having me as your King. Do you accept?" Trunks paraphrased the traditional wording. It was more like he was being sworn in as a new King, rather than he as a King swearing in new subjects.

"_I do_" rose in unison around him, the loudness of over a thousand saying it at once surprising Trunks.

"Thank you" he said sincerely, "You may rise."

Smiles and cheering were already starting to break out among his subjects, but Trunks rose a hand, asking them to hold off just a moment longer. They quieted immediately.

"As of yet, I have nothing more than rank to bestow as reward for those who have already proven their loyalty. But I would like to give what I can, now" he laid out for them.

"Gohan, please come forward" he motioned, indicating he should resume his place from before. As he approached, Trunks smiled at him again.

"I find that as King, I am now in need of a General" he said, making the oldest half breed pause in his step.

"General? I... Trunks, I hardly think I'm qualified for _that_" Gohan said, shocked at the implication.

"You were Bardock's apprentice, his protege by all accounts...and you're the last of his line... There is no one more fitting" the King argued. It wasn't like he could really say no. Understanding this, Gohan nodded in agreement, even if he didn't feel ready.

"It would also please me to put Casey as commander, right beneath you. So you can teach him everything you know" Trunks said next, giving the teen a nod. True experience was going to be hard to come by with this crowd. Trunks hoped they could make up for it with power and unity of purpose.

Casey bowed, accepting the position, and Gohan nodded to him. He had already given him and Aaron an impromptu lesson on controlling the transformation before. Casey had taken to it much more quickly, but he was older too.

"Aaron, Cumin, and Katsu" Trunks addressed next, "You already hold positions of honor as my attendants, and have proven yourselves. If there is any other rank or position you would desire, I wish to know it."

Aaron looked back over his shoulder to Cumin, who shrugged and shook his head. Katsu watched their exchange, and waited for them to speak.

"I think we're good, your high- uh, majesty" Aaron corrected himself mid-sentence. "Honestly, I never _really_ expected to be one to go super saiyan... Being there to make sure you have what you need is enough for us" he said. Casey looked at him funny, but Aaron didn't flinch.

"They haven't figured out how it works..." Gohan said, as if coming to the realization himself right then. It made sense to Trunks though. They hadn't had a lot of time since it happened, to digest how it might have been possible for them.

"Another state secret...until now" Trunks sighed. He lifted his voice again, as much as he could to make sure all could hear him.

"That which does not kill us, makes us stronger. Everyone knows that is the key trait of the saiyan warriors. Well, it is also the key to becoming super saiyans as well. Bran said so herself, Casey had her to heal him. Being in the palace, Aaron had access to the tanks there for years. Every time we heal back from the brink, we come one step closer to the ability to transform."

Casey's face looked like he was having an entirely different revelation at the moment. The crowd burst into talking all around. It was not quite chaos, so Trunks let them exclaim amongst themselves for a moment.

"How many others knew this?" Casey asked him directly, and Trunks gave him no fault for the breach in etiquette.

"Only a handful. Bardock first proved out the technique in my father and Kakarot, and he kept it mostly to himself" Trunks informed him. Casey nodded, and Trunks would have bet the moon he was seriously re-evaluating quite a few interactions with his father.

Looking over to Bulma, the King could hear the crowd settling down, trying to hear what they were saying again.

"Building more tanks will of course be our highest priority now" he said to her, making sure it would carry.

"I've already got my dad working on it, no sweat" Bulma replied, snapping her fingers. The crowd was definitely happy to hear that. Trying to get back on track, Trunks addressed his last attendant next.

"Have you thought of anything, Katsu?" he prompted.

"Well, actually, do you mind if I take a rain check?" the young teen asked him. Katsu was hardly of age yet, but he had a feeling his answer would have been the same even so...

"Of course" the King said graciously, knowing it would not be forgotten. Katsu beamed, and Trunks tried not to think of when that might come back to bite him...

"Mother, I would like you to sit on my council, as well as a few of the other human mothers you think appropriate. Admittedly, it will be a rather small session until I get to know more of my subjects' individual strengths. Gohan will of course sit on it as well" he added as his mother's brow furrowed, thinking right away.

"Forgive me, but I do not know your name, mother of Casey and Bran" the King apologized, "But I would ask you be included in it as well, since you seem a female who's used to speaking up..."

"I am Brighid, breed mate of Kra. Are you sure you want that? With Bulma there, that's an awful lot of competition..." she pointed out, but was smiling as she patted Bran on the head.

"Well, I do intend on being there myself, so there's no hope of my mother not butting heads with anyone" Trunks joked, making most of the crowd chuckle.

Gohan watched the reaction he got, and realized Bulma had indeed been correct. He would also bet it was Katsu most of the crowd got its information on the King from. He would have to make a conscious effort to keep the young male close to him in the future...

Brighid agreed with a chuckle as well, and then Trunks had nothing else left to discuss in such a public forum. There were lots of things to be done, wreckage to be sorted through, a delegation sent to earth's King... He didn't need to involve all the brats and whelps in that though.

"That is all I have for now, thank you, each and every one, for the dedication you have given" he said, getting ready to dismiss them back to what they were doing.

"Wait your majesty, there's one more thing" Bran jumped up on her brother's shoulder, drawing everyone's attention to her. She pulled out her knife and raised it high in the air above her head.

"All hail the King!" she yelled, nearly a scream, clearly possessing a lung capacity beyond her years. The whole gathering yelled in a roar, the sound of it reverberating and echoing off the ships. The saiyaness of the gesture moved Trunks, and when he raised his hand in acknowledgment, it only got louder.

The King decided there was no better note to end his first address to his subjects on. With a nod, he motioned those closest to him to return back to the ship. Then the King ascended the rest of the ramp, waiting just inside for them. The excited energy of the crowd didn't dissipate after the noise died down though.

Through the window, Trunks could see Gohan making sure Casey knew he was supposed to follow too. Bran jumped off her brother's shoulder to let him go. Before she ran off though, he saw Katsu give her a wink that the rest of her family wouldn't have seen. It was really Casey's problem, not his...

Saiyans didn't pay attention to things like gaps in age when it came to breeding. If a female was ready to mate, she just picked out whatever male caught her eye. He didn't put it past Katsu to be planning those ten years or so ahead… Things like that might need to be watched among this first generation of half breeds though. He knew humans had very different customs when it came to that sort of thing... Trunks swore to himself that this _would_ be only the first of many generations.


	16. Chapter 16 - Thrust Upon Them

"You did the right thing" Toma said, putting a hand on Bardock's shoulder from behind. Paragus had miraculously decided to let them heal in the tanks yesterday, and it had given Bardock an idea. Since the traitor had displayed a concern for appearances, he would use it against him in any way he could. Things were of course still in a very tentative stage though.

When Paragus had informed them they would be confined to the palace, he just had to speak up. Bardock had argued that it would be much more convincing if he and Toma 'officially' moved in as members of the court. Otherwise it would look too much like they were actually prisoners. They all knew that's what they really were of course, but 'appearances'...

The new King's father wasn't stupid enough to think Bardock was really trying to help him. That was why he had graciously sent 'help' along with them to their house for the packing up. They didn't actually own much, certainly not things they would need at the palace.

It was solely a ploy for Bardock to try and get a communication off to Bulma. The ship waiting outside must have been jamming any transmissions though. After that failed, Bardock knew they would all just have to do their best on their own now.

"And I'm not just saying it was the right thing because it meant I didn't get broken in half by Broly" Toma tried teasing him slightly. He was hoping to lighten the mood, but he knew better than to push too hard. When Bardock kept staring, and didn't respond with more than a grunt, he knew a different track was needed.

Looking over the line of photos, Toma sighed.

"With all we asked Vegeta to bend to, the least we can do now is swallow our own pride" he said. "We're a lot more helpful to them alive..." he added, motioning toward the frames. Though Toma meant more the one of Gohan, Bardock was staring mostly at the one of Raditz. It was taken when the brat was picked out to be prince Vegeta's future bond mate. Kakarot's rested between the two, a small cub with hair just like his father's. Gohan was the only one left alive for them to help now, though.

"I refuse to believe he's right" Bardock muttered, "But it's hard sometimes..."

"Believe who's right?" Toma wondered.

"Paragus. When he implied that _caring_ just makes us weak" Bardock sighed.

"He can't be" Toma said decisively, making Bardock turn to look at him over the absolute knowledge he claimed.

"And how do you know that?" he asked dryly, not having a whole lot of hope left at the moment.

"Because they can train their tails off, but it's the anger that makes them able to push through" Toma said, alluding to the super saiyans, "And you aren't getting _that_ kind of angry without caring."

~/~

Bardock and Toma stood side by side at the podium, though it was understood Bardock would be doing all of the talking. He had been given words to memorize, and was expected to deliver them with believability. They tasted bitter in his mouth, but he'd swallowed worse.

There was a large crowd at the arena for the occasion. Paragus wanted everyone to be able to see Broly and his strength. The King himself was as usual, stoic. Bardock had only heard a handful of words out of him in entirety, now that he thought about it.

The event was broadcast over all of vegeta-sei, though it was made clear all living within the main city _would_ attend.

"As you all know, a few days ago, the saiyans underwent a change in leadership. Among the elites, it was long known that my son Kakarot, the King's bodyguard and bond mate, was stronger than the King himself" Bardock could hear the ripple and murmur begin as he said that. He had been instructed to keep going though, regardless of any potential interruptions.

"Both Kakarot and the previous disgraced King, were slain by Broly, son of Paragus. Broly is possessing of a power unrivaled in all the universe, and thus is our true, rightful leader. In keeping with the old ways, I will thus swear my allegiance to him and his line, as will you all."

It was brief, a short summary of events that had spread over years and decades... But the attention span of the general populace was known to be small as well. After speaking his part, Bardock went with Toma to the base of Broly's throne. The swearing of allegiance was a blood rite, so they each cut their palms in front of him. Both were careful to use the opposite of the ones they'd been bound to each other with, since they already planned on breaking this one.

Once the rite was complete, they stood off to the side with the other counselors and advisers. In ones and twos, the rest of the palace swore loyalty to Broly after them. Though he considered this entire thing to be rather pompous and ridiculous, Bardock didn't get to choose when he left anymore.

Everyone in the city was being required to swear now too, as part of the mandatory attendance. This could take a while. Large groups, normally all belonging to the same house or line, dripped their blood at the King's feet. Even with that to speed things, there were a good eighty thousand to go through.

Bardock noticed when Fasha's line approached, the female gave him a steady gaze the whole time. Like she was trying to decipher him. Fasha went ahead and swore though, and Bardock breathed a sigh of relief. That kind of trouble going on right beneath Paragus' nose was the last thing he needed.

It went as smoothly as any large gathering of saiyans can be expected to, until later in the afternoon. They were nearing the end, with only a few thousand left to pledge. Standing above the crowd, Bardock could see a visible schism rip in the other side of it, moving toward the throne. Saiyans darted out of the way, leaving a wide berth for the approaching group.

The wildlings often received that response when they came to town.

Bardock could smell trouble in the air before they even got close enough to distinguish faces. His worst fears were confirmed, not that he was afraid, when Rhuba emerged at the head of them. Her furs and skins were worked with more detail and craftsmanship than wildlings normally wore. Rhuba and the dozen others with her stopped at the foot of the throne. The tall, almost overly muscular female eyed Broly with a calculated suspicion. But she said nothing.

Paragus rose and addressed her right away.

"Ah, I see our brothers in the wild have finally decided to listen to reason" he said, smirking. You would never have known from his manner that the wildlings were a segment he desperately needed 'on his side'. To most saiyans, they represented the reality of the race's most basic instincts. It wasn't so much that their approval was necessary, but more like a huge psychological blow if _not_ given. Plus they were the absolute strongest of the strong, when it came to sheer power.

"I am Rhuba, daughter of Pesta, leader of the wildlings" Rhuba declared, making Paragus' back stiffen. Whispers and talking ran through the crowd, to have such an important figure in their midst. Bardock hadn't known she was actually _leading_ them now... He didn't think they operated on more than a pack by pack level to begin with...

"We felt a tremendous power rise, and came to investigate" she added, still looking at Broly and not at his father.

"Yes, the awesome power you felt was my son, Broly. He is by far the strongest among us, and slew the King to take his place. All are gathered here this very day to pledge allegiance to him" Paragus told her, pride and arrogance oozing from his words.

When Rhuba finally turned her hard gaze away from Broly, she ignored Paragus, looking directly and openly at Bardock. Her tail flicked once as if waiting, and her nose flared. Bardock firmed his resolve. He nodded once, curtly and without any other movement in his posture. Let Paragus make of it what he would.

Rhuba nodded back, their exchange certainly not lost on anyone, and then pulled out a knife. She and her group swore after that, though she continued to ignore Paragus. It seemed almost like there was a disdain for him in her manner. Bardock grumbled mentally to himself over the problems that would cause him later.

Neither had any idea that her actions had just saved his and Toma's lives.

To Paragus, controlling of such an insurmountable power, he didn't care to keep much more than _just_ appearances. Bardock was no longer necessary once he smoothed the transition of the populace's loyalties. The visible connection that existed between him and the wildlings though, was unexpected.

Everyone knew he and his breed mate had little to nothing to do with each other. Executing him in the night, after what Paragus had just seen, might be foolish though. It wasn't as if the male posed any real _threat_ power wise, no one did. Paragus could have him killed at any time. Bardock's power was less than a gnat's, compared to Broly.

"It's a long journey back. We'll stay in the city for a few days" Rhuba came right over to Bardock and spoke in a no-nonsense manner when they were done, "Where are you staying?" she asked. Only his familiarity with thinking fast saved Bardock from revealing his shock. She was obviously saying that she would be staying with them.

"We're staying in the palace, as of now" he looked up at her a bit gruffly, but it was his manner, so he didn't think it sounded out of place.

"Hn. That's unexpected... You an elite now or something?" she asked, eyeing him up and down.

"No, just a lowly third class, same as always... I'm sure a few rooms can be spared for such an important delegation though" Bardock told her. She nodded, as if that part was a given. She seemed as if there was more she wanted to say, but decided to hold back at the moment. Bardock thanked the moon for small favors.

~/~

The knock on his door that night was one Bardock was expecting. Out of respect, Toma rose to leave them be, but was waved back down. He wasn't about to imply Rhuba was too old to breed, by assuming it was fine for him to stay. She _was_ of course, but she was also the kind of female you didn't insult without losing a limb.

"It's alright Toma, this isn't that kind of visit" she said, closing the door behind her. Bardock leaned against the table and crossed his arms, waiting for her to go on. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly through her nose. It was the most contemplative either of them had ever seen her look. You know, out of all four times they'd met. She had her hands on her hips when she finally started speaking.

"I just wanted to let you know that I didn't swear my loyalty because I agree with them" she cut right to the chase, "But it wasn't because of any particular loyalty to you either."

Bardock frowned, but stayed in his spot.

"Why then?"

Rhuba's posture became defensive, and she was silent for a moment. There was no window in this room, so she seemed to fixate on the wall where one should have been.

"Don't be mad at me for not saying anything before this... It is a great shame to me..." she said, her head turned away, "But, Raditz...was not my first born."

Bardock was confused, but not sure why she would be ashamed of that, until she went on.

"My first whelp, was born of another wildling... He was strong, incredibly so... but... _defective_. There's a difference between being an animal, and being a _monster_... When I realized it, I slew him, as I should have. As _Paragus_ should have..." she said quietly, "Our race..." Rhuba finally looked at Bardock, almost imploring him to understand, "...Among the wildlings, we have rules for that kind of thing now. It happens among us all too often, since we've kept so much to ourselves" she informed him.

Bardock felt like everything he'd ever assumed about this female was being turned on it's head. He uncrossed his arms, displaying his acceptance of what she was telling him.

"There never were enough females..." he replied softly, understanding the root of the problem. Bulma's research had told them they were still two or three generations away from the consequences of inbreeding that Rhuba was describing. He hadn't thought the distance the wildlings kept would have accelerated it _that_ much. Bardock wasn't a scientist though...

Seeing his reaction, and hearing his words, Rhuba nodded.

"Paragus' line is actually not that far from mine. They preferred capes to caves though" she said in a matter of fact manner. "That's probably half the reason he allowed our late pledge. He's been trying to recruit us for years, and I always refused him before" she indicated.

Bardock and Toma were virtually speechless by that point, trying to absorb everything she'd just told them.

"Hell, the only reason I came now is because I felt them kill Kakarot... I would never have believed it possible... Was his death really necessary, Bardock?" she asked, obviously mournful of it.

Taking a deep breath, and with a sigh, Bardock answered her in the way that made the most sense.

"He knew what was coming, and he gave his life willingly" he said.

"For the King?" Rhuba asked.

"For the King, and the prince, for his own son and possibly even us too... He never fully explained certain actions to me..." Bardock admitted, still feeling guilt over the matter.

Rhuba nodded, but didn't say anything for a good while. They let her process it, but she didn't share whatever her conclusions were with them.

"I want you to know, that when it comes down to it, you can count on me in a pinch" she said, as if changing the subject. "My stay here may drag out indefinitely while I keep an eye on _things_" Rhuba informed them. They both nodded, seeing the bigger picture of her presence now. "We have a saying among the wildlings about males like Paragus" she said as she was leaving, "They're just smart enough to get themselves into trouble. And those aren't the kind of males you want to find yourself following."

~/~

No one would have ever said it aloud to the old monarch, but Vegeta had been quite a bit shorter in stature than the new King. Actually, pretty much everyone was smaller than Broly. Robes and armor, nearly everything had to be remade for his girth. Even the royal crown needed modifying, to have any hope of fitting.

It took a few days, but artisans were finally found to perform the work. When Bulma had been here, she would have had something like that done in no time. Or hired it out to a species that specialized... Interplanetary trade had pretty much ground to a halt with the takeover though. More from her absence than Broly's presence...

In the meantime, Broly continued to wear his standard headdress and chest pendants. Bardock was pretty sure they were an off-world fashion the odd male must have taken a liking to. He was not exactly a very hands-on King, it was turning out. Paragus went in his place to most meetings. Or if Broly did go, we would silently defer to his father in almost everything.

Bardock could definitely agree with Rhuba that something was wrong with him. He didn't know if it fully justified the term 'monster' she had applied though. At least, that's what he thought in the back of his mind, up until the day Broly's crown was ready.

It must have been something in the headdress, that much he could tell. As soon as it was removed, Broly's nostrils flared. It was like the spark of life came back into him right before Bardock's eyes. The attendant didn't seem to notice right away, but it probably wouldn't have made a difference.

The council session hadn't really started yet. They were waiting for Paragus and a few others to make their way to the hall. Bardock ignored the cold, or outright pompous looks that the former enemies beside him were directing his way. He focused on the King, and thus saw what took place. Without a word, Broly crushed the old headpiece in his massive hand.

Praises of how well the new crown would suit him were just beginning to rise from the sycophants, when Paragus arrived. Broly stood from his throne, staring down his father for only half a gleeful moment. Paragus opened his mouth, fear showing clearly on his face, but he never said a word.

Before anyone could move, or even blink, Broly was across the room. He had his hand over his father's jaw, stopping speech. And then suddenly there wasn't a head in his hand anymore, but globs of flesh. Blood poured from between his fingers as Broly laughed maniacally. Everyone in the room was beyond shocked, frozen in their chairs as they watched.

Paragus' body fell to the floor, and Broly's tail flicked in a pleased, predatory manner. He wiped his hand on his pants absently after staring at the corpse for a bit.

"The council session is canceled" he said, seeming more animated than he had been, _ever_ before, "Bring me something to eat." He sat back in his throne as the command was issued. All the males in the hall were transfixed by what had just happened in front of them. No one moved.

"_NOW!_" Broly suddenly bellowed, his hair shimmering with power, on the border of transforming. His hands gripped the armrests of the throne tightly as he yelled, his eyes almost bulging. Bardock had never seen so many grown males scurry before in his life.

He personally didn't _run_, but he took the snap in mood seriously. Broly began laughing in an almost cackling manner as they all left. Bardock could hear him muttering something that contained the word 'father' in it, but he didn't look back. He couldn't afford to.

~/~

Their esteemed King had some moments of calm and clarity. But there were others of rage and insanity. The later outnumbering the former. For a good while, anything that required his presence he simply canceled. Broly's orders all revolved around bringing him food or demanding to spar. It became clear quickly however, that his idea of sparring was vastly different than most. Whoever was unlucky enough to be picked as his opponent, died in that chamber.

Cumber, surely out of spite, suggested Bardock's name to him one day, for a match. Broly had taken one look at him and scoffed, refusing to _waste his time_ on a male so old and incapable of challenging him. Bardock had never been so thankful for the slight gray at his temples before that.

The real problems began though, when the newness and apparent fun of 'being King' seemed to wear off for Broly. He grew bored, and even more easily agitated for it. Cumber had actually been placed as one of his attendants. When Broly went into a fit and killed him, because his meat was cooked too much, even the Purists began having second thoughts. Any who dared speak against the King's actions, lost their lives immediately.

The next day after that, the King's power exploded in indignation, that someone would dare sneeze while he was talking. Tables were thrown out of the way, and one wall of the main hall destroyed. The seasoned warriors tried to keep a semblance of calm, but it was difficult.

Bardock knew rumors of this behavior were starting to reach the general public. Too many bond mates were not returning from their duties in the palace. He was fairly sure that was what brought Fasha to his door unannounced one day.

"Listen to me" Bardock told her, lowering his voice to emphasize the importance of his words, "The 'King' is _mad_. He's likely _always been_ mad. There's no reasoning with _that_."

Fasha's lips pressed into a thin line, irritated with him.

"But we can't just do nothing. There has to be some avenue or way out of this" she argued, much as they had been arguing for the last hour.

"Well if I see one, I'll let you know" Bardock said curtly, more than on edge due to being the one living it. Fasha rolled her eyes, but seemed to finally accept that there was nowhere for this conversation to go. To Bardock's surprise though, she didn't leave the palace after seeing them.

Their old squad mate had oddly volunteered for whatever guard position might be open at the time. She was so overqualified for such a thing, it was laughable. Bardock knew this would be trouble, but there was no getting around the stubbornness of females. They were going to do what they were going to do. He would never have believed she would go _that_ far though...

Broly was good and into one of his 'almost transformation' rages, over his plate not being cleared away quickly enough. Of course the offending male was dead now. Broly yelled for all the servants to be fired though, then for all of them to be brought to him so he could dispense 'punishment'. They all knew by now Broly had only one method at his disposal, execution.

Fasha walked over, arms crossed at first, tail loose behind her, and slapped him.

"Get a fucking grip on yourself" she scolded him, her tone a mix of scorn and disbelief.

Bardock sat with Toma on one side, and across the table from Rhuba. He saw his breed mate's face go slack with horror at what Fasha had just done. Bardock was beginning to wonder how everyone around them could have not put all this together yet... That things were different now, what had been loosed upon them. Vegeta had never been this irrational and murderous...

And with murder was how Broly responded. Bardock had already made a commitment to live, so they could help Gohan and the prince. It was hard to hold himself back from the anger he felt though. Broly punched his fist directly through Fasha's rib cage, then finished his transformation.

The hall's occupants were mostly blown back, and Fasha's body dropped to a charred heap. At least it had been a quick death. She could hardly have had time to feel anything... Not like that one council member Broly had dismembered...

Even around the rage in his heart, Bardock made sure there were no sudden movements in his motions. The rest of the assembly picked themselves up and quietly exited, made easier by the unrepaired hole left in the wall. Rhuba gave Bardock and Toma a look of condolence, then disappeared through the door on the other side. It was the closest exit to her, and she would have been foolish to try and cross the open space.

Broly screamed at the ceiling, but like many times before, it petered out now that his blood lust was satisfied.

Only when they were four or five turns down the hallway, did any of them stop. Bega was in the group of males around Bardock, and looking pale as a sheet.

"He... He killed a female..." he seemed almost lost in his disbelief, like he wasn't even seeing the hall around him. One of the others spoke up in agreement too.

"Even though she was past breeding, that's still... He still..."

None of them looked like they had grasped the full magnitude of the situation before this.

"Maybe now you'll better appreciate the half breeds' even tempers..." Bardock said snidely, not caring who he might insult with that. He was far past the point of caring, of playing politics. The game had changed. They were now in this for their very survival, as individuals and as an entire race. These idiots were just now beginning to realize that; realize what they had helped to happen.

"Fuck... What are we going to do?" Bega said aloud, in such shock that he dismissed the condescension in Bardock's tone. Killing a female in cold blood was unheard of. It was nearly sacrilege, or what passed for it, in their society.

Rubbing his forehead, Bardock took a moment to think, sighing at the fact he was always expected to have answers. Now even the Purists wanted them of him. But what could they do? Against _Broly_?... Nothing.

"The last time I was in the mess hall, they had run out of the good whiskey" Toma ventured into the silence, "Seems to me, like it might be a good time to start a war..."

Bardock looked over to him, the wheels in his head turning furiously. He knew Toma's statement carried much more than what was visible on the surface... War... If they were to wage a war right now... It would very likely be only those soldiers sent off planet who survived the destruction Broly was wreaking...

"War" Bardock replied, smiling and putting his hand on the back of Toma's neck, "Sounds like a fantastic idea right now."

Toma smiled back at him, and seemed a little surprised that Bardock would kiss him so firmly in front of all these others.

"We've been running out of a lot of things lately. At the rate saiyans consume resources, we'll be down to hunting in the wilds again soon. No trade has taken place since the other planets' promise of our civility left... That would be brilliant actually, I'm sure Broly would agree to us needing to conquer the universe to bring him back spoils" Bardock thought out loud. Toma nodded in agreement, watching his bond mate's mind working out all the details.

Unfortunately, it was something Toma had been thinking about quite a bit recently. That they might just have to save who they could and count the rest a loss...

"It would be perfectly reasonable to send out the brats we don't really need right now too. That way they could gain some experience and be better 'sparring partners' when they came back" Bardock reasoned.

"Wait, I'm sorry, but, isn't trying to recolonize the universe one of the worst possible things we could do right now?" Bega said, finally getting some of his senses back. Obviously not all though. Bardock rolled his eyes, deriding him for not being able to keep up with the conversation.

"We're not actually going to start a war, idiot. It's just so we can get the cubs away before we're all slaughtered" he explained gruffly.

"But, if they're not leaving to fight, what are they actually going to _do_?..." Bega asked next, slightly less bewildered with each passing moment.

Bardock just gave him a hard look.

Realization flowed over Bega's face, and he looked away for a moment, clearly embarrassed. He made himself return to the gaze that judged him though, a rare dose of humility in his eyes.

"Do you really think the prince will take them in?" he left the 'after all we've done' part as an unspoken assumption.

"Well, _you_ he may not have taken in...but the cubs...he will" Bardock assured them with a quiet confidence. He wished he felt as confident about their own chances, but he would take what he could get.

To all their surprise, Rhuba came around the corner a moment after that. She was obviously looking for Bardock. The shock was wearing off with her more quickly than the others.

"What are we going to do about the servants? Sometimes he remembers his insane commands after he gets like that, sometimes not..." she asked him directly. Rhuba had a good point. They'd been ordered to round up _all_ the servants and present them to Broly for execution. They...they couldn't actually _do_ that...

"Broly is a self-centered, egotistical male, just like his father. He thinks of nothing but himself... Go down to the dungeons and round up any prisoners you can, I think we have half a dozen or so down there right now" Bardock ordered.

"Half a dozen?..." Rhuba gave a sour expression over the smallness of the number.

"It's the best we can do right now. I think he'll buy it. It would take about that many to wait on him hand and foot, so there's little chance he'll think beyond that" Bardock sighed.

"What if he questions their state? Most down there are not exactly in 'prime' condition" she brought up next.

"I think that may be giving him too much credit at this point... But if he does, we can just tell him some random guards picked a fight with them. You know, out of their fervent loyalty to the King, when they found out he was displeased" Bardock said sarcastically. Rhuba nodded after that, and was apparently not able to think of any other issues. She turned on her heel and left to carry it out.

"Bega" Bardock addressed the elite next, since he seemed to find himself suddenly 'in charge' once again, "Go down to the mess hall and ask for six volunteers to become the palace's _new_ servants. Now that we're trying to pass off to him that there are so few, we'll need to make sure he never sees more than the same six faces from here on out. And if there aren't any volunteers, start a draft."


	17. Chapter 17 - Mother Earth

Trunks found that he got along really well with his grandparents. Dr. Briefs was a simply brilliant man, who Bulma took after quite a bit. Mrs. Briefs was of the opinion that all guests should be immediately served sweet treats. She quickly endeared herself to all the half breeds who came through Capsule Corp with that attitude.

Even so, Trunks was sure it was rather inappropriate for her to flirt with him and Gohan the way she did... But it seemed par for the course, she treated all the males who might have come along the same way. Since her mate seemed indifferent to it, the King figured this was already an established pattern.

Trunks had most of the half breeds combing through wreckage, trying to find anything of value. Anything that might clue them in to who their attackers were, where they were from, any weaknesses. Capsule Corp was the unofficial grand central station of the effort. All pieces or systems that looked relatively intact were brought here to be examined.

In the mean time, the delegation they'd sent to earth's King had successfully met with him. Really, it had just been Brighid and Gohan, and they had returned after only a few days. Earth's King was extremely grateful, and would meet with Trunks. No indications on how he felt about stepping into the middle of the saiyan's civil war were given though... It was a subject best broached between the two royals when they met anyway.

The important thing was that the half breeds had been given asylum for now. They could hardly be denied it after what they had done.

"Excuse me, Bulma?" Casey's face flashed on the telescreen near her station. He was supervising a group going through what the invaders had set up as their main base. They were a few cities away, and the comm-links they carried were supposed to be for important issues.

"Go ahead, Casey, what's up?" she asked, not sensing any urgent danger in his voice.

"Uh, I think you better send someone, or maybe come down here yourself... We found a whole section full of cells, but the prisoners...there's something wrong with them" he said, seeming unsure of his own words.

"What kind of wrong?" she prompted, actually turning to the screen now. Trunks and Gohan both shared a look of concern, but were outside the field of the screen's view.

"Even after we freed them, they won't move, they don't respond. They're just sitting in their cells, staring blankly at the wall" Casey explained. "It's even weirder because our scouters say these guys are way stronger than average humans, they could have broken through the doors on their own..."

Trunks saw his mother's eyes flash, and she leaned closer to the screen.

"Is one of them short and bald, wearing all orange?" she asked quickly.

"Well, yeah, actually..." Casey frowned, wondering how she could have guessed, "Two of them are dressed like that."

"Fuck" Bulma said, tossing the part she'd been working on. "Come on boys, I might need your help with this" she called to Trunks and Gohan as she headed out the door.

"Um, Bulma?..." Casey asked, seeing her just suddenly disappear.

"She's on her way, we'll be there shortly" Gohan popped on and told him.

They both left the testing effort behind as well, apprehensive to see what new surprise awaited them. Whatever it was, Bulma was tight lipped and nervous about it too.

When they landed, Casey was waiting to show them down to their discovery.

"Here's the one you described" he said, opening the cell. Trunks and Gohan stood back, letting Bulma have first look. It was a trust between them, that Casey had done a proper job clearing the area before she entered.

"Krillin..." she said, sounding almost heartbroken. She bent right away to examine the headdress he was wearing.

"Why didn't you mention this before?" she frowned, poking at it. "Are they all wearing one?"

"Yes, they are, we, I didn't know it was odd..." Casey admitted, flushing.

"It's not a normal human fashion, certainly not for males, to wear something like this" she instructed, testing to see if it was physically attached to his skin. The headpiece moved slightly when she adjusted it. Gohan's hand came down before she could try removing it entirely though.

"What if they're a trap? Like a reverse trigger. You break the connection and the whole thing explodes, killing you both?" he asked solemnly, his tail wrapping around his waist.

"I thought you weren't ready to be General?" Trunks commented, raising an eyebrow at Gohan thankfully. Gohan blushed a little, and Bulma pulled her hand back. She thought for a moment, before sighing loudly.

"Well, the mind control components are going to be really hard to distinguish from an explosive, since I have no idea what they would look like. I didn't even know this kind of thing was out there, honestly..." she told them, looking worried.

"Then the rest of you should leave, and I'll remove it" Gohan said, knowing he had the best chance of surviving an explosion of unknown potential. He could tell Trunks didn't like that idea right away.

"No, let me" Casey offered, surprising them. "If I'd brought up the headdresses to Bulma in the first place, she probably would have told me to just try removing it. And I wouldn't have questioned it" he said matter of factly. Gohan hesitated.

"If I go super saiyan, I'll be fine, there isn't a blast that could kill me like that without taking out the planet anyway" Casey insisted.

"The same would be true for me in that regard too" Gohan pointed out, "Go on, protect the King and his mother."

Casey didn't argue further, since that was a command, and left with the two of them. Gohan transformed quickly, not for any particular power, but just for the level it took him to. Deciding there was no point in drawing it out, he simply removed the headband without any fanfare.

There was no explosion. The bald man's eyes blinked, and he looked up at Gohan towering above him.

"Oh my god, please don't eat me" Krillin said, his face filled with horror and arms coming up defensively. Gohan powered down, raising an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't _eat_ a _human_" he scoffed, finding the implication insulting.

Krillin lowered his hands, but made no move to get up.

"You... You're saiyan, aren't you?" he asked, eyeing Gohan's tail, "Am I on vegeta-sei? Were any other humans sold to you?"

"Sold?..." Gohan shook his head, "You're still on earth. We freed it from it's attackers a few days ago, but we just found this compound now."

"Really?! Wow, that crazy, blue haired bitch actually did something helpful for once..." he kind of muttered to himself.

"Krillin! I heard that, asshole!" Bulma was stomping back in now, since there hadn't been a detonation. The little bald human jumped visibly, falling off the bench as she entered the room.

"Easy! Easy! Who knows what kind of brain damage I already have from that thing!" Krillin yelped.

"I'll give you brain damage, you ungrateful jerk!" she said as she smacked him in the head. Trunks patted Casey on the shoulder, telling him to go ahead and remove the headgear from the others as well now.

"Wait, you tried it out on me first?! How did you know that thing wasn't going to fry my brain if you removed it?" Krillin huffed.

"We didn't" Gohan told him seriously, "That's why I was super saiyan, because we didn't know if it might explode."

"Aw, why am I always the guinea pig?..." Krillin sighed, looking dejected. Bulma rolled her eyes, and grabbed him by the back of the collar, pulling him to the door.

"Come on you big baby, just be glad you're free, alright? Let's get the others out" she said.

"I'm sure he can walk himself" Trunks commented tersely, frowning at this human called 'Krillin'. It was unlikely she meant it in _that way_, but Trunks didn't like the imagery of his mother dragging him away like he had been _chosen_. And he certainly didn't want the others seeing it either.

"Yeah, you hear that? My son, _the King_, is telling you to shape up, buster" Bulma released him and gave him a push toward the door.

"Holy shit, don't tell me you actually banged that Vegeta guy?" Krillin said in disbelief as he walked. Bulma sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"They call it breed mates, and for the love of god, shut your face before you get yourself killed" Bulma said in annoyance.

"I thought the saiyans weren't allowed to kill any humans while on the planet?..." Krillin asked kind of timidly, eyeing both Trunks and Gohan. The King didn't bother to hide his annoyance when their eyes met.

"_I_, will kill you, if you disrespect Vegeta again" Bulma told Krillin with a firm glare.

"O-Oh, ok... Uh, sorry Bulma" he hung his head, obviously afraid of her when it came down to it. It was comforting for Trunks to see.

"Wow dude, you're like, a saiyan, aren't you?" the next cell's occupant declared after being freed.

"And, cue idiot number two..." Bulma muttered under her breath.

"Is that a common human trait? To be of below average intelligence if you are of above average strength?" Gohan asked seriously, wondering if this was something they should worry about.

"No, no, not normally. It's just that these two didn't have much in the way of brains to fall back on" she chuckled as a much taller human left the second cell.

"Hey Yamcha, welcome to free earth" she said, flashing a peace sign.

"Bulma?! Oh wow, this totally takes me back. Man, how long has it been since the last time you rescued us?" the human grinned from ear to ear.

"Eh," Bulma said, looking to Trunks, "Thirty years or so, give or take a few."

"You shouldn't be so happy to be rescued by a girl..." Krillin groaned.

"Why not, dude?... Bulma, you've like, _totally_ aged well" Yamcha said with a grin, winking at her.

Now Bulma groaned this time.

"We're in the middle of a war, and you're still on about that?" she said in disbelief, "Some guys never change..."

"What? I'm just saying, you're still beautiful, that's all" he got kind of a sappy look on his face, reaching for her arm.

A sharp growl of warning cut through the air. The skeptical look Bulma had been giving her ex-boyfriend turned into a grin. Yamcha had retracted his hand quickly, obviously not completely clueless. Gohan placed a hand on Trunks' waist, telling him, "Easy..." when he saw his bond mate getting so feral.

"Allow me to introduce my son, the former prince, and now _King_ of vegeta-sei, Trunks" Bulma said, placing an arm around her son's shoulders. The smile she gave Yamcha was almost sickly sweet, yet somehow dismissing him completely at the same time.

"Y-Your son, huh? Wow, that's so awesome" Yamcha backtracked right away. "Cool, so yeah... I'm just gonna, go stand...over there...now" he said, pointing behind Krillin and edging away from them. The third cell had already been opened, and it's occupant was watching as Yamcha slunk away.

"Don't mind them ma'am, they get a little too much sun sometimes, out at Kame House" an elderly looking male addressed them.

"Well, I'm glad to see _you_ at least are on your best behavior, Master Roshi" Bulma nodded. "Wait, how old even are you now? You tried to fight these guys too? Or did you just get captured?" she frowned.

"Never mind that!" Roshi huffed, "It was war! An all out attack! We mustered all the forces we could, no matter the age! Even my old students the Ox King and Gohan showed up, and we gave 'em hell!... For a little while anyway... Then, they hit us with some sort of paralyzer-type darts... Next thing I knew I was sitting in that cell, with those aliens talking about selling us off..."

The next door opened as Master Roshi was explaining. An _extremely_ aged male was revealed behind Casey. Trunks could hardly believe these two were capable of fighting at what must be the ending stages of their lives. He didn't think much of the fact that one of them shared a name with his own bond mate. It was common on vegeta-sei, hence the designation 'son of'.

"Another Gohan? You don't say..." the white haired ancient said, "Odd to find such a name among your kind..."

The rickety old man seemed in obvious need of his cane, but Trunks admired the desire to still fight that he must have felt. It seemed odd though, that this one seemed so much older than the man who claimed to be his teacher.

From the last cell, a booming voice was heard, likely in answering Casey.

"Free you say? Why, thank you. Thank you very much... Me? I'm the Ox King. What's your name, little man?..."

Casey was by no means a small saiyan anymore. When he lead out the last captive though, they could all see the relative truth to the moniker. The Ox King was an absolutely massive male, the tallest Trunks had ever seen. And probably widest too... When he exited his cell, his eyes landed on Bulma right away. Trunks was afraid for a second he would have to ward off a pass from this male too... But then the giant's eyes softened, and filled with sadness.

"Hey, Ox King" Bulma said, her voice laced with some hidden sadness as well.

"Hello, Bulma... How are things?" he asked politely, his expression starting to droop though he obviously was trying to be civil.

"Things... Things are pretty bad, actually" she sighed, not looking away. The Ox King nodded, seeming empathetic to her troubles.

"There are a few rays of hope though... I can't believe you're still around, but I'm glad I'm the one to get to present this young male to you" she said, motioning to Gohan. Both Trunks and Gohan raised an eyebrow. It was highly unusual for her to announce someone other than her own son, let alone _before_ her own son... The Ox King's stance shifted as he watched Gohan go to Bulma's side.

"Ox King, this is Gohan, son of Kakarot" she said softly, smiling almost apologetically. Trunks was very confused as to why his mother would be tearing up while she said that. The Ox King looked awestruck, maybe even slightly disbelieving.

"Gohan, this is the Ox King, your grandfather. Chichi's father" she told him softly.

It was quite a shock, to be sure, for Gohan to take in such a thing all at once. The Ox King kept staring at him for a long time, so Gohan stared back. Finally, the mountain of a man spoke.

"I think it's true... You have the look of your mother..." he seemed wistful.

"Um, thank you" Gohan bowed slightly, out of respect, his mind still reeling. When he looked up again, the Ox King's face had collapsed, and he was beginning to cry.

"Now you've gone and done it" Roshi said in exasperation, "You mentioned the girl and he'll be crying for a week..." He went over to pat his former pupil's arm sadly.

"So you _are_ my namesake then" the human Gohan smiled kindly up at him.

"Your namesake? Why was I named after you?" Gohan asked.

"Well, the Ox King and I have always been close friends, ever since we were students. His castle caught fire back when Chichi was a teenager, and I helped pull him from the flames. She promised to name her first born after me, as thanks for saving her father's life" the old man informed him. Gohan nodded, but this was a lot to process all at once. There was another pack, all these connections he knew nothing about, here on earth this whole time...

Gohan couldn't imagine a human of his namesake's size being able to move one of the Ox King's... Perhaps his mother had been very strong, and not just strong for a human? Chichi... He barely remember her at all, he had only been a few months old when she died.

"Thank you, sir, for allowing your daughter to join the program. I see you must have loved her dearly" he bowed to the weeping man, finding he needed to say something.

"You seem like a good lad, son. You're welcome...though, I probably couldn't have stopped her if I'd tried" the Ox King seemed to be crying less heavily now.

"Strong willed females do well for themselves, it is true" Gohan acknowledged.

"Very true, though it wasn't just that... My Chichi was one of the strongest fighters on the planet, stronger than all but a few of the men. I just knew when that Kakarot said he'd accept only the strongest warrior, that he already had his eyes on her..." the Ox King sighed. Gohan wasn't sure what to say to that. It sounded like his father and Vegeta had actually been to earth at some point.

That wasn't in the records of how the program was established...

Even though it was a moment worth remembering in their lives, the Ox King having met Gohan seemed to sadden him in a way. All of earth's fighters left back to Kame House not too long after that.

Gohan was quiet and contemplative for the rest of the day himself. It seemed best not to seek out his grandfather on his own, and make him any more upset. He had questions he had never bothered to worry over before though. About his mother, about _who_ she was. Just knowing the fact that she had been human didn't seem nearly enough anymore.

"Come on, let's go find her" Trunks took his bond mate's hand that night. Gohan frowned at him at first.

"What do you mean?"

"My mother. She's probably the only one left who can tell you anything about yours, even if it doesn't turn out to be a whole lot... They obviously knew each other _some_how" Trunks pointed out, reading him like an open book.

They found Bulma outside, in the vast garden of flowers her mother kept around Capsule Corp. She was staring up at the stars, but Trunks couldn't tell if it was with sadness or just remembrance.

"Hey boys, nice night, isn't it?" she sighed, knowing they obviously wanted something.

"Yes... Bulma, I don't suppose...there's anything you could tell me about my mother?" Gohan asked nervously. She didn't seem shocked at all by the question, in fact she seemed like she had been expecting it.

"Your mother and I... I met her when she was just a kid, and I was only a teenager myself... We had a lot of adventures together though. When we were done saving this planet, we headed out to the stars" Bulma said with a far away look in her eyes. The skies were clear that night, and her head was tipped up to the twinkling lights, taking them in.

"I had always wanted to explore them, and Chichi... She said she just felt like fate was pulling her off this world. I never really believed in all that fate kind of stuff, when I was young. I was just happy to have her come along. We raised quite a bit of hell, she and I, back in the old days..." Bulma sighed, moisture gathering in her eyes as she went on.

"We actually crashed on vegeta-sei, we never meant to stop there...but don't tell my dad that" she kind of chuckled. "We knew how to play dumb until we got a good read on the populace though. We expected to be treated with hostility, so we played it cool. Now I know we were probably only sent to the King for judging because we were _females_" Bulma smiled at the memory playing out behind her eyes.

"They didn't even cuff us, bind our hands, nothing. Chichi had learned to keep her strength hidden, and I'm zilch in the ki area... Things weren't going very well because Vegeta was an ass... One of the guards put his hand on Chichi's shoulder to take us to holding, and she decked him so hard he flew ten feet" she said. Silent tears were running down her cheeks, though she was smiling.

"The guard, that was my father?" Gohan asked, fairly sure of what the answer would be already.

"Bingo. He looked so shocked, they all did, no one moved for like a minute. We had no idea she'd just gotten in the hit of a lifetime on a super saiyan... Kakarot had the stupidest grin on his face, I swear to god... He was just laying there on the floor looking at her from where he fell. And Chichi, shit, she crossed her arms and said 'What? I didn't hit you _that_ hard'. It was a riot, Vegeta was laughing bent over in his throne... I only heard him laugh like that a few times in my life..." Bulma wiped the tears from her face.

"They invited us to stay for a meal. We stayed for three months. Hell, I stayed for almost thirty years...I know she would have too... Even though our cultures were so different, we knew it could work. Bardock wasn't actually there when we crashed, he and Toma were off planet looking for more species close to the saiyans... But he approved our plan to mix saiyans and humans as soon as I showed him it would work genetically. Talk about fate, for the two of _us_, to crash _there_... Vegeta and Kakarot did come to earth for a short time, under the pretense of cementing the alliance. But really, it was to meet our fathers, because Chichi insisted... She was very, _traditional_, like that... It's funny, when I took off for the stars, I never expected to settle down and have a kid... That was so long ago... The stars, they just don't look right from here anymore" Bulma's voice cracked, and she wrapped her arms around herself, finally looking away from the sky and bowing her head. Tears began flowing down her face again rapidly.

Trunks couldn't help but hug her, not asking, simply giving, whether she wanted it or not. Gohan joined him, emotion and gratitude for her sharing welling up in his chest.

"I hope you're not mad at me...I know you need me to be at my best right now...but I couldn't help wanting to take one more piece of him with me..." Bulma whispered to her son.

"What do you mean?" Trunks prompted her softly, not wanting to jump to conclusions. She pulled back to see her son's face, and Gohan let his arms fall away while Trunks still held Bulma's lightly.

"I mean, it'll be pretty rough on me...humans don't normally have another child at my age..." she said rather hesitantly.

The King's nose immediately smelled the air between them, his brows furrowing.

"No, a human's scent doesn't change drastically when they're pregnant" she smiled softly at him, "I didn't know for sure myself until we were only a few days out from earth..."

"Congratulations" Gohan said sincerely, squeezing Trunks' shoulder to indicate he should offer his as well. The King nodded.

"When you say rough, do you really mean dangerous?" he asked pointedly, looking his mother in the eye.

"No more 'dangerous' than a normal one" she waved him off, the closeness of the moment falling away. "Even with me being stronger after getting used to vegeta-sei's extra gravity, it'll wear me out pretty quick though... Some of the other mothers had asked if the gravity belts we wore to acclimate on vegeta-sei could be set the other direction. They don't want to get weaker while we're all away... It's a good idea, but not one I'll be able to participate in, I think. It's probably better for me to be here under earth's lesser pull to do this, actually..." Bulma rubbed a hand over her stomach, talking down this time. "But no matter where you're born, here or vegeta-sei, you'll still be a saiyan. Oh yeah, that's for sure" she seemed to be talking encouragingly to the tiny life within her.

Trunks smiled and shook his head, getting her attention with another hug.

"Congratulations, mother."

~/~

There was a design hinted at in the headdresses that made Bulma nervous. Technology could be copied though, so it didn't necessarily mean anything. Oddly enough, those were not their biggest find that day at the compound. Within the prison area, an entire console from the invader's computer system had remained untouched. As much as she trusted her son, she let no one but herself and her father near it. Trunks had other important things to attend to anyway. Like meeting with earth's King.

After all these years, Bulma was less impressed by the specialness of royalty than most. It was probably best for her to stay behind...

When she finally cracked the code on the invader's encryption, her blood ran cold. Her hand went immediately to the comm-link in her ear at all times now. Before she could call up Trunks though, a message came in that she accidentally answered instead.

"Bulma darling, we've just received an urgent communication marked for you from vegeta-sei" her father said cheerily to her. Vegeta-sei?

"Can you patch it through?" she asked, setting the comm-link down on the edge of the console. She had to prioritize here, and hoped she was setting the right one.

"Of course, give me just a moment..." her father's voice cut out, and was replaced by the projector sputtering to life. Static, and then Bardock's face, filled the tiny screen it gave off. Bulma gripped the edge of the station tightly, overjoyed to see he had made it. She couldn't help noticing he looked quite a bit older than when they had left though...

"Bulma, I'll give you as much info as I can, but there's really not much, and not much that can be done... I'm sure you know by now that Vegeta and Kakarot were both killed... Toma and I, we survived... Surprisingly though, Paragus didn't... Broly always wore a sort of pendant on his head, you know that. Turns out he's bat shit crazy, and it was all that was controlling him. When it was removed to fit his crown, Broly killed his father immediately. Things since then..." Bardock looked away from the device recording his projection for a moment, and Bulma's heart squeezed tightly in her chest with fear. It couldn't be possible...it just couldn't...

"It has only gotten worse since then. He kills with no rhyme or reason, he transforms at the drop of a hat and destroys some new section of the palace... He killed Fasha, for no good reason" Bardock seemed unable to keep the sadness, laced with a bit of fear, out of his own face.

"That helped some of them to _finally_ realize just what a monster he is... But with his power... Not if we attacked in entirety, as the whole race, could we defeat him... And for that reason, the saiyans are going to war again" he said with firming resolve. It was eerie, how his eyes seemed to drill into hers, even though it was just a trick of the projection.

"The first wave will of course be the young who need experience... All their pods will be landing in one place though... We will continue with a new wave every four days, as ships permit. There aren't a whole lot of the faster ones left on the planet anymore. The first batch is scheduled to depart in a few days, so they should arrive on earth in about a month. The rest may take up to six weeks."

Being able to tell her they had a plan, however desperate and inadequate, seemed to help him keep his composure. He paused though, and his next words startled Bulma badly.

"I thought living under a slave master was bad, but, a lunatic is worse...it's chaos. Bulma... Don't bring them back here. The brats, not any of them" he said firmly. He opened his mouth slightly, like he was going to say more, but then just nodded solemnly instead.

From off screen, Toma's voice said "Time..." in a reminding manner.

"Don't try replying to this. We've got some males working with us to try and preserve as many as possible. A good number are still going along with Broly because they don't give a shit about anything else though..." Bardock rolled his eyes, sighing.

"Good luck" was all he said after that, and then the transmission ended abruptly.

Bulma forced herself to take a deep breath, and then switched her comm-link back to call mode. She was relieved at first that it picked up right away, but then it was Gohan's voice that answered her.

"He's already in with the King?" she asked, no greeting.

"Yes. What's wrong?" Gohan was just as to the point. He could hear Bulma swearing into the microphone.

"Gohan, you met Broly in person before right?" she asked, "Was he wearing a headdress?... Was it anything like the ones we found here?"

Gohan felt the edges of a seeing that had never come true, pressing against his memory. Broly's face filled his vision, the same headdress he always wore sitting over his forehead. It was a picture he would never forget.

"Fuck" he said out loud, giving Bulma her answer. Gohan felt dizzy with the implication she was suggesting.

"That's not the whole of it. I broke the encryption, Gohan... It's the Planet Trade Organization, they're not wiped out. They must have been rebuilding this entire time. My dad said when we landed that their technology seemed similar, but I dismissed it cause they're dead. Supposed to be anyway... I only had time to listen to one of the transmission logs on the console before Bardock's message came through-"

"Bardock?" Gohan said in excitement, cutting her off, "He's alive?"

"Um, yes, for now... Gohan, he said Broly's insane, killing left and right, transforming for no reason... They're going to send as many cubs to us as they can, under the pretense of war, to try and save them from his madness..."

Gohan's mind reeled from the onslaught of information, trying to decide if he should interrupt Trunks' meeting.

"Bardock said...he said not to come back, Gohan..." Bulma sniffed back tears on the other end of the comm-link, and Gohan let his sire's decision wash over him.

He couldn't accept that.

"Is everything alright out here?" Trunks asked from the doorway, having sensed his bond mate's ki becoming erratic. Spiking and going super saiyan was supposed to be their code for something wrong. But he didn't want to take any chances.

Gohan looked at him, dazed, and said, "Hold on Bulma", then handed Trunks his ear piece. There were a few other half breeds there, for show. All were looking back and forth between the two bond mates with concern. Trunks' face paled considerably, and he turned back to the room he'd just come from.

"I'm with King Furry right now, I'll pass it on" he said, shutting the door again behind him. Gohan knew that probably not _all_ would be passed on, but a good deal anyway. He motioned his subordinates over to him.

"It doesn't look like we're in immediate danger right at this moment, but it isn't good" he told them, "We need to be on high alert, and ready to go as soon as the King is done."

Gohan decided then and there, knowing Bardock was alive, that the last thing he could do was give up on him now.


	18. Chapter 18 - The Gears of War

The first batch was away. He had thought it might help ease some of the anxious tension in his chest, but it didn't. As soon as the 'warriors' were through the atmosphere, Bardock began worrying over the next set.

"That's more than would have survived without our plan" Toma rubbed his bond mate's shoulders at the end of the day.

"We've both worked so hard... To save our race... To save the planet... Sometimes it feels like the harder we try to hold on, the more of it's ripped out of our hands..." Bardock had a rare moment of complaining. This was different than when he grumbled about not enough sleep, or Toma's cooking.

"Well, trying and failing is better than not trying at all" his bond mate reminded him. Bardock sighed, nodding in agreement.

"Sorry, I'm just tired, that's all. Let's get some rest..."

~/~

Toma knew Bardock didn't like him being alone with Broly. Not that they were actually alone, there were dozens of other males around. It was that Bardock didn't like him being around Broly when he wasn't there. It was kind of cute in a sentimental old fool kind of way... Toma could certainly take care of himself though, and it wasn't as if Bardock's quick wits were of any help with the madness.

The mix of advisers and counselors to the throne was getting younger and younger. Broly killed off the sires of entire lines, grizzled veterans, and experienced diplomats indiscriminately. Sons, and sometimes even _their_ sons, were left to fill those traditional seats. Toma could see open fear in a lot of the youngest ones. At least they were smart enough to be afraid, he thought dejectedly to himself.

Some of the members of the council now were no older than Gohan. They probably had half or less of the brat's training too. Toma didn't usually sit in on the economic meetings, but he'd been pulled aside urgently and asked to at the last minute. One of their normal members was still in a tank as the session was about to start.

They had a list of things that were known to upset the King, however bizarre. Not having every seat filled at the table was one of them. It was a long, ever growing list...

"No..." Broly muttered to himself when they were only a few minutes into it.

"Excuse me, your majesty, have you changed your mind about implementing the n-"

"Shut up! I don't have to listen to you anymore..." Broly said more loudly, clearly not in response to the current conversation though. His eyes were kind of glazed, and he was looking askance at the corner of the room. The King muttered something else under his breath, a glare beginning to cover his features.

"I hate you! … No, I'll kill you first, I'll … Stop talking, just stop! I don't care! … Point? There is no fucking point!" Broly yelled at the wall. Toma was afraid of what it would mean, if what he thought was happening, was really happening.

"I hope you die, father! No, I'll kill you myself!" Broly lunged at the empty spot where he actually _had_ killed his father. The problem was that there were several seats in the way at the moment. The few unlucky saiyans in those chairs never had a chance. Broly seemed to decide they were all his father, or trying to help his father escape somehow. He began ripping their throats out while he screamed endlessly for Paragus to die.

As soon as the King's back was turned, Toma began backing up toward the door. Broly's power had pushed most of them over in a tumbling wave when he transformed. There were only a few left on their feet anyway. Toma hadn't even bothered trying to stay upright. He had known enough to roll in the direction that put him closest to the exit when he came to a stop.

Toma wasn't sure if he was more horrified or thankful that Broly was so engrossed with turning the bodies into piles of gore. The others that could escape had all gone out ahead of him, then Toma gently, _gently_ shut the door behind himself. If Broly found no other prey in the immediate vicinity, there was a better chance of him calming... At least there had been before... Now that he was obviously hearing things that were not there, Toma hoped that still held true...

As he made his way as quietly as he could down the hall, he was in a bit of a daze. Toma had never considered himself particularly lucky. He wondered how many more of these incidents he had the luck left to escape though.

Broly's power began to increase where it emanated from the main hall. Toma swore and picked up his pace, nearly running into a guard as he went around the corner.

"What..." he was going to ask what the idiot was doing just standing there. Then he saw the guard was female, and it shocked him. He couldn't believe anyone would even let one _into_ the palace anymore. The next thing he noticed was that she was so young, she probably couldn't even whelp yet.

"...What the fuck are you doing here?" he asked, herding her with him. When he put a hand on her shoulder, he could feel she was trembling.

"This... I'm supposed to patrol this section" she finally got out, keeping to the same whisper Toma was using. They were still far too close to the King for Toma's liking, and the moon only knew what he intended by powering up to that level...

"How old are you?" he asked, trying to distract them both from the fear twisting in his gut. It wasn't a sensation he was familiar with.

"Fifteen" she said, glancing behind them as they loped down the hall. "They, were taking volunteers in the streets, and no one would...so I raised my hand..."

"And they _let_ _you_?" Toma hissed, outraged, "Fucking cowards."

"I...didn't know..." she added, embarrassed to have gotten herself into something so far over her head, Toma was sure.

He stopped in the hallway before they turned again, since he was heading deeper into the palace now. That wasn't the path he was going to let her take though.

"Listen to me. The palace is no place for a female. Neither is the city. Run. Take to the wilds. There's no guaranteeing you'll actually be safe there either, but it's better than nothing" Toma instructed her in all seriousness. She seemed disbelieving of his words at first.

"But my post..."

"That's an order" Toma grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. He had no idea if he really had the authority to make such an order, but whatever. Whatever got her to leave. When he said that, she seemed relieved, and took a step backward, half in a crouch already. Toma nodded, and she turned and fled.

Broly's power still poured through every nook and cranny of the halls as he watched her run. If he listened carefully, Toma could hear the King screaming insanely even from this distance. He had never ascended to this height for this long before. As with all things Broly, Toma took it as a bad sign. He rubbed his hands over his face a few times, trying to snap out of the fog of his fear.

Bardock ran up to him in that second, hands closing over his, and began pulling him forward. Toma felt relieved, yet knew it wasn't over yet. He followed his bond mate through halls and corridors, twisting and turning.

"What was with that guard?" Bardock asked, speaking more to break the twitching silence than because it was necessary.

"She was just a brat, little more than a cub...but too old for the pods though. We'll never make it to her age bracket. I sent her into the wilds, for what good it might do..." Toma answered tiredly.

Three floors away and on nearly the other side of the palace, Bardock stopped.

"You know, you're right... Anywhere in the palace, any_where_, any barrier is just an illusion at this point" Bardock sighed, squeezing Toma's hand.

"I don't know if that makes it better or worse though" Toma replied, "Sometimes, I feel like such a coward for running, for not trying to stand up to him..."

"Don't. Don't do that" Bardock said firmly, making sure Toma was pulled close so he didn't have to say the next part very loudly. "This morning, when I woke up... I was a little weaker than when I went to bed the night before..." he confessed slightly gruffly.

"...You're starting to lose power levels?" Toma said softly, confirming the shame and yet sharing it between them all at once.

"Yeah... We're no match for him, never were... So don't do that to yourself" Bardock instructed. Toma kissed him, firmly and like others would be embarrassed to see if there were any around.

The entire structure of the palace began shaking with Broly's power.

Keeping hold of one another, Toma whispered to his bond mate.

"Do you remember that story we were told as cubs around the fire? About the legend of the first super saiyan, and how he destroyed our home planet?"

"Yeah, I remember..." Bardock whispered back, making sure Toma stayed hugged to him closely.

"...I don't think it was just a legend..."

~/~

Rhuba was in more than a little awe of the power she felt radiating from the palace. The terrible, grotesque power... Thankfully with her own strength and reputation, she had been able to accomplish her task in the city. It was harder than she wanted to admit, to keep moving toward the royal structure with each step.

The door she was heading for burst open ahead of her though, and a female guard bounded down the steps. Well, she was wearing a guard's uniform, but she looked awfully young for such a position...

"What are you doing?" Rhuba stopped her with a curt question and a frown. The brat blinked at her once, and then straightened her back.

"I'm fleeing to the wilds, I was ordered to go" she said simply.

"Ordered by who?" Rhuba asked, finding the timing odd. Completely coincidental that Broly seemed ready to shake the foundations of the planet off their moorings at the moment...

"Toma, bond mate of Bardock" she answered, "He found me in the hall and told me to get out of the palace, out of the city..."

There was no lie in the brat...and it did seem something Toma and Bardock would do. Honestly, Rhuba was in no position to do anything about it if it was a lie. Not with what she planned to dare.

Taking off her knife, Rhuba offered it, handle out, to this young female. She would need it in the wilds more than Rhuba did in the palace.

"Then keep your ki down. Don't fly, just run. Go" she instructed as soon as the brat took the blade. She could see the shock, and then resolve, filling in the former guard's face. It was one thing to be told something like that in the heat of danger by a male. It was another entirely for a female on the steps to confirm it.

Rhuba hoped for the brat's sake, that the wilds would still offer some small bit of protection. Unless the planet exploded underneath them, of course... She wondered if it said something about her own mental state, that she was resulting to this. Not in sending away the cub, no... But to her impossible errand...

As she finally entered the palace, Rhuba made a conscious effort to keep from brushing her hand over her pocket. It would only draw unwanted attention. The shaking stopped abruptly as Broly's power plummeted downward in an instant. It didn't change anything though. Rhuba's mind had been made up the first moment she laid eyes on him.

~/~

"Don't touch that" Trunks said to Cumin, seeing him out of the corner of his eye. The young male's hand withdrew right away, but his tail waved curiously behind him. He didn't ask 'why', but Trunks felt it was best to explain.

"That machine's calibration is very sensitive. So much so, that the latent ki in a saiyan's body is enough to throw it out of alignment" the King elaborated, not stopping his work. Gohan was off enforcing one of Bulma's newly required 'rest breaks', which were a totally foreign concept to Trunks' mother. The King was down in the Capsule Corp labs with just his attendants for the moment. He wouldn't be happy until they had a healing tank for each individual half breed.

"What does it do?" Cumin asked, still eyeing the contraption.

"Dr. Briefs invented it to predict sunspot activity. It can detect the formation of them based on energy field interactions and magnetic waves, that kind of thing" Trunks said, not going into an overly technical amount of detail.

"Why would he want to know that?"

"If the magnetic field from an eruption hits earth's atmosphere, it makes ribbons of colors seem to float in the sky. The distortion is thought to be quite beautiful to the inhabitants here. Mrs. Briefs particularly enjoys them" the King told him. He and Gohan had been given an extended, _very_ extensive tour of the facilities by Dr. Briefs. There was a story behind every machine and invention, and it had taken the larger part of a day to get through.

"What about this one?" Cumin pointed to the device beside it.

"That's a can opener" Trunks chuckled. Cumin raised an eyebrow.

"I know it seems strange, but think about how much weaker they are, and a lot of their inventions make more sense" the King recommended.

"I can't believe they've survived this long if they're really _that_ weak..."

"What they lack in physical strength and ki abilities, they make up for with intelligence and creativity, trust me" the King chuckled. Cumin still seemed skeptical.

"Let me put it to you this way. If you and my mother were both stranded on separate, uncharted, unknown planets, who do you think would last longer?" Trunks asked. Cumin didn't answer him right away, just blushed slightly.

"Bulma's hardly an average human..." he said kind of quietly, looking down.

"Are you an average saiyan?" the King questioned him, deciding to push him just a bit. His attendant looked up to him, trying to gauge what Trunks meant by that.

"I'll give you a hint, you're not" the King said, taking a moment away from the filter he was installing. "You're much more than most your age, but even so, I didn't mean the point to insult you. I just want you to understand that there's more that's good in life than just being strong, that's all" he reassured him.

Cumin nodded, and Trunks felt like he really was taking it to heart, or at least listening. They had to let the topic drop though, because Bulma came back from her break, glaring daggers.

Trunks sighed, and smiled at her.

"I love you mother" he said sweetly, to which she just huffed.

"I'd blame it on the additional hormones from the pregnancy, but this really isn't that different than normal..." Gohan sighed, coming back as well. That made the King chuckle again, and he could almost forget the dire situation they were all in for a moment.

The hacked console had revealed that the PTO was gearing up for taking over the entire universe, again. While a good number of their forces had been deployed to earth, it wasn't all of them. After the realization of the mind control devices, Trunks couldn't help but worry about the overlapping issues here. But had Paragus gotten it from the PTO, or had both he and the PTO gotten them from somewhere else?...

Plus, there were the incoming saiyans to think of too. Trunks wasn't sure what to expect of the brats on their way, so he didn't want to be gone when they arrived. The transmissions on the console had revealed where the PTO's planetary base was. After some digging and triangulating of course. The half breeds were the only sane super saiyans left, and vegeta-sei was in no condition to repel its old enemy. It would be up to them.

They knew they had no chance against Broly right now, so going back there first was out of the question. If they were successful against the PTO though, and could find proof of Paragus' involvement with them... It would be an act so traitorous it was nearly unthinkable on his part. And every fight they fought brought them one step closer to _being able_ to dispose of Broly...

Though Bardock's advice was usually taken more as an order, Trunks had already decided not to obey his last command.

~/~

"We'll give things with the full blooded brats a few days to settle down, then attack" the King had finally decided. The PTO was certainly limping from the wound it had received on earth. There was no guarantee they wouldn't come try to claim it again though. Or at the very least, take revenge.

"I'm hoping there won't be too much conflict among us. If it looks like they're going to start trouble, we may have to stay and enforce obedience for a while. We can start instilling a few alternate authority figures right from the beginning, to help. I'd like for those who are super saiyans among the other males to be put in direct authority over them" Trunks instructed to his council a few days before the saiyan brats were due to land.

"Wait, how is that going to help for when they're off planet fighting the PTO?" Brighid asked, "Unless you mean to imply that you're going to do something stupid, like not take every able warrior possible with you..."

"We can't leave earth unguarded" Trunks reminded them.

"The PTO's base is only a few weeks from here in the faster ships, you won't be gone that long. Besides, a lot of the kids, they want to fight. They've seen what's possible for them now, and they want a piece of it. They want to be useful in the struggle to take back their home too, and participating in this battle is key to that" Bulma agreed with the other mother.

"Are you suggesting non-super saiyans be allowed to come too?" the King questioned, loath to the potential for loss of life there.

"War is risk" Brighid said firmly. "Life is risk... My mother, she was a healer too. When they saw the gift did not pass to me, they put a sword in my hand instead. The gift has grown to heights unseen in our line before, through my daughter. The thing is though, Bran can't form ki attacks. She can't force it into something that kills, something that destroys...so I put a blade in her hand as well. Because I knew she'd need it. My point is, you can't give a half-assed effort and expect things to work out for the best, no matter what you're doing."

"You think my plan is half-assed?" Trunks asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If it's a plan to only attack with half your forces, then yes" Brighid declared, crossing her arms. The King just looked at her for a moment, then sighed. He rubbed a hand over his forehead, thinking. They just didn't have enough resources, enough 'troops' to do things the way he would have wanted. Trunks wasn't exactly sure _all or nothing_ was the true scope required of the situation though.

"You've been awfully quiet, Gohan. What do you think about all this?" the King asked his General. Gohan took a moment to phrase his response.

"I think that those who want to fight, should be allowed to. With the understanding that any who stay here are expected to provide for earth's defense, of course. If it turns out that all those old enough wish to go, maybe we can hold back a single super saiyan..." he answered, watching Trunks' reaction.

"Only one?"

"We have almost a dozen now, but there's no telling exactly how strong of a force we're going off to attack. We might end up needing as many as possible" Gohan pointed out.

"Mother and I have been working on ways to help negate some of their technological superiority. In a worse case scenario, we could just fry all their sensitive components" Trunks informed them. He and Bulma often had brainstorming sessions like that when Gohan was off giving lessons in super saiyan. It wasn't that his bodyguard couldn't keep up. It was just that Trunks and his mother were often on very similar wavelengths when it came to things like that.

"That's a good point...but...if their computers are fried, how will we find out if Paragus was truly aligned with them?" Gohan asked.

"Well, as much as I would like to know that, it's not necessary for taking care of what we need to. I think we're ok to assume from Bardock's transmission that any influence the PTO had over Broly, died when Paragus did. I can't see someone unstable enough to murder his own father as being willing to uphold his father's old alliances. We can of course search for evidence afterward even so. But knowing the depth of Paragus' treachery won't make Broly any easier to kill" the King reasoned.

He was beginning to understand the slight grimace his father used to give on council days now. There were so many arguments, heated points of view to try and take any good points out of that he could. Bending all the best elements into one overarching plan was exhausting. It would be worth it though, if they won. If they lived.

"I think what Gohan said is a good compromise between the extremes in our views here" Trunks finalized, "So, we will take all who wish to fight, saving at least one super saiyan for earth's defense... And no, mother, you're not allowed to come."

~/~

They had been tracking the saiyan brats' ships for quite a while, and were able to pinpoint where they'd touch down. Trunks made sure their party arrived early to the site, and that the area was clear of humans. In all honesty, he wasn't sure about this. Even though the palace insiders had been privilege to the Purists' true motives, most had not. The King had no idea what these new arrivals would have been taught, how they would act... What they would think of half breeds, and of swearing fealty to one.

It had already been decided that a vow would _have_ to be required of them, if they wanted to take shelter here. No way could they be let to run loose over the planet, not feeling as if they had to answer to anyone. Trunks had prepared himself, to have his authority questioned, to be required to show some force. Gohan had advised him to just beat into a pulp the first to give him flack. That would earn the other's respect most quickly.

Trunks knew how a thing like that would certainly be effective. He hoped it wouldn't be necessary though. Not that he had a problem with knocking a few heads. No, the thing he hoped for was that the full blooded brats wouldn't be too disapproving of the half breeds to begin with. It was a lot harder to change a mind that had already been made up.

Scorch trails lit up the sky as the first wave finally breached the atmosphere. Thankfully they'd have a two week reprieve or so, until the next arrivals. That still left a bit of time. Some new comers would be arriving while they were off fighting the PTO though... Trunks found he simply had to stop thinking about it, and focus on the moment now.

They didn't land all at once, but no hatches opened until the debris and dust had settled. The King and his party waited. Gohan was with Trunks of course, and so were their attendants. Bulma had insisted on coming, as well as the other mothers who sat on the council. Plus there were half a dozen other half breeds who could now turn super saiyan, just for effect if needed...

The first pod opened, and a young male stepped out, holding a restless looking whelp in his arms. He looked hesitant, rather intimidated by the display of the King... He looked like he was about eight. Trunks was struck by his movements, the way his steps seemed, _haunted_, almost. Stopping a respectable distance away, he bowed to the King.

"They sent me with them, in case anything went wrong, so there'd be someone to take charge" he seemed to feel the need to explain his existence.

"...Take charge?... What is your name?" Trunks asked skeptically.

"My name is Corhn, your highness" the brat seemed to be well in touch with his manners, so that was a relief.

"...Majesty" Gohan corrected him gently. Corhn glanced over to Gohan.

"Trunks is the rightful King of vegeta-sei, and we address him as such" the King's bond mate informed the brat. Corhn's eyes widened for a second, and then his face crumpled into tears. Trunks was shocked that he would show such open emotion. Trying to wipe at his eyes while he held the whelp, Corhn nodded.

"B-Broly, killed my father, I, d-didn't even h-have enough l-left of h-him to burn" he sputtered, _fear_, plain and thick, rolling off of him. The King stepped forward, gently taking the whelp from him and handing it to Gohan. Corhn seemed embarrassed already, so Trunks didn't try to do anything too human, like hug him. Instead he tapped the underside of Corhn's chin with his knuckle, a sign for him to hold his head up.

"He killed my father too..." Trunks said in commiseration, placing a hand on Corhn's shoulder, "He _will_ pay." The brat looked up to him, and Trunks nodded, confirming his words. It was obvious Corhn was trying to get a hold of himself, so Trunks tried to help by distracting him.

"Is this your brother? What's his name?" he asked, gesturing to the tiny saiyan gnawing on Gohan's armor.

"No, I don't know him. Bardock stuck him in my pod last minute. He said the life support could carry us both, since it was meant for an adult male..." Corhn answered him, his composure slowly returning.

"Aren't the others going to come out of their pods?..." Gohan asked, surveying the mass of unopened ships.

"You have to open them, Bardock disabled the auto release. A lot of them are the older style of whelp pods, where they moon trigger right away when they open. That's why he sent me, because I'm good at fixing stuff, in case of any malfunctions" Corhn said with more firmness.

"Not because of your rank or status?..." Trunks assumed this was the brat of an elite who was important enough to be included in the first round.

"No, I'm just a third class, your majesty... Bardock wanted someone older."

"Older? Older than... You mean they're _all_ whelps?" the King asked, looking over the hundreds of waiting pods. He felt a shift in the entire manner of this encounter, like a rug had just been pulled out from under him.

"Yes, your majesty..." Corhn seemed to understand the meaning of such a gesture, at least to a certain extent. It was an almost physical pain in the King's chest, to see the most powerful warrior race in the universe, reduced to refugees. Nameless orphans and fear struck cubs were all vegeta-sei had left to offer earth now.

Even though it changed nothing, it changed everything.

~/~

There was a knock on Bardock and Toma's door early in the morning. Far earlier than anyone would normally bother them. The guard looked pale, as if he'd recently seen some new horror he could barely comprehend. Unfortunately, there was little that surprised Bardock anymore these days.

"Sir... Last night... Rhuba was killed, by the King..." he said haltingly, as if he didn't really want to let the words pass his lips.

Apparently Bardock could still feel shock.

"She tried to poison him..." the guard added softly, his eyes a little wider than they should be.

Bardock slowly nodded, feeling Toma place a hand on his back in support.

"I...assume, she was unsuccessful..." he asked the shaken male in the doorway.

"She was..." he nodded morosely. Bardock nodded back. There was really nothing else to say.

~/~

Trunks said goodbye to his mother in private. He asked to be allowed to place his hands on her stomach for a moment. It was all he could do to say goodbye to his unborn sibling. On the surface, their expedition seemed bold and confident, attacking the enemy in its lair. The truth was though, that they were being forced to lash out rather desperately.

Brighid had seemed surprised when Casey volunteered to stay and guard earth. Trunks had expected it though, since he had specifically asked him to do it. The King had been prepared for the male to balk at it, but found he was flattered instead.

"I heard from my mother how important leaving a protection for earth was to you..." Casey told him. "I just want you to know, I consider it an honor that you would want me to be the one to guard _her_" he added a little extra inflection to his words. The two males met each other's eyes, understanding passing between them. Trunks nodded, confirming his statement.

"Thank you, Casey. It would ease my mind to leave the most capable hands possible to take care of things."

"...I remember when my mother was pregnant with Bran..." Casey ventured, making Trunks raise an eyebrow. He motioned for Casey to go on though, not minding to speak a little more in depth with the male.

"It was really hard not to get too overprotective of her... My dad said it was because I had good instincts, I kept trying to make sure she felt safe, so she would stay with us. It made sense, our instincts wouldn't know we don't have to worry about that with humans... Anyway, I just wanted to bring it up, in case you were subconsciously worrying about losing her more than normal, all of a sudden..." Casey looked a bit sheepish to be offering his King advice. Trunks was glad to receive it though. He hadn't thought to wonder if he was being affected by anything like that... Her safety had definitely been a large concern for him though.

"I've noticed, quite a few of the mothers are pregnant..." the King realized, "Perhaps you could make a point to mention that to the cubs of any who don't have siblings already."

"Of course, your majesty. Having taken in the whelps will help some too though" Casey expounded. "I'll still bring it up of course."

Trunks supposed that was part of the subconscious signal that a female would remain in-pack, the actual caring for of the young by her...

"Thank you, Casey. I feel easier about it for having spoken with you" the King gripped his commander's upper arm, shaking his other hand as warriors would.

"You're welcome, your majesty. And just so you know, I'll die first, before anyone lays a hand on _any_ of the mothers."


	19. Chapter 19 - Leap

They were as prepared as they could be. Still, Trunks had an uneasy feeling. They had done the best they could ahead of their last battle too, and look how that had turned out... He couldn't let himself think like that on the eve of this one though. There were fourteen super saiyans among their ranks now. Trunks tried to hold on to the rightness of that number. He didn't care that earth's year counted only twelve moons. Fourteen would always be the right number to him.

The planet that the PTO had chosen as their home world had no moons. The next planet out from it was sufficiently close enough though, for Trunks' purposes. Being highly mechanized and built up for war, they were assuming the PTO would have advanced defenses. Ones capable of shooting a ship out of space before it even landed.

To circumvent this, the half breed force would land on the neighboring planet instead. They could deploy the electromagnetic pulse from there, with their own ships safely powered down. That would be far enough away that Trunks could encompass the entire planet in his aim. If everything went well, they should be able to power up, fly over, and then land, all before the PTO even knew what hit them.

From that point on it was an issue of brute force, something the King hoped would prove to be enough. Since the PTO had gone into the literal slave trade now, they didn't want to simply blow up the planet. Who knew how many innocent beings would be killed by that... Plus, if an actual ice demon was still leading them, that wouldn't be sufficient to kill the leader.

They successfully made touchdown on the planet next door, keeping to the far side away from their prey. Step one completed. The King ordered everyone to re-capsule their ships, and place them in the protective cases his mother had made. To conserve energy for the battle, they camped where they were. It wasn't a good idea to raise their power too much while they were this close. Traveling under restricted ki would take hours though. It was just as fast to stay put and let the rotation of this planet bring them to face the PTO's.

Trunks wasn't sure he got any sleep that night, but he did his best to rest in Gohan's arms. Being ready two hours before dawn on this planet would put them in the optimum line up. Three hundred and fifteen lives were resting on Trunks getting this right. Everyone of age had volunteered. At this rate, he wasn't sure he'd be able to hold back the full thousand of half breeds, cubs, and mothers from demanding a part in the assault on Broly...

"Alright, I am going to power up now, but all the rest of you will remain hidden. Do not pull out your capsules until I tell you" Trunks ordered. Gohan raised an eyebrow at him, but kept his ki down with everyone else. They were hovering in the upper reaches of this planet's atmosphere, where there was _just_ enough oxygen to breathe. Trunks wanted to negate as much of this planets' influence as he could, when firing it off. Taking a deep breath, the King turned his focus inward. As he had been practicing back on earth, his power began to vibrate and pulse in just a certain frequency. It had taken almost thirty destroyed sensors before he'd gotten it right.

Once he and his mother had lighted upon the idea though, he wouldn't stop until he was successful. There was no power source on earth that was big enough for this task. To create an EMP wave that would envelope an entire planet needed the kind of energy produced by things like _suns_. Or saiyans.

Trunks could feel he had it right when his own power began chasing itself through his body. The charge made his hair crackle with static, and he wasn't even super saiyan yet. Here came the part that was, as of yet, not fully tested... He had been able to do this on a small scale, the firing off of a burst of it. But he couldn't practice doing it as a super saiyan, with giving it all he had. Not without frying everything on earth. He'd accidentally destroyed a sparing chamber with his normal attempt. His grandfather hadn't been too upset at the loss of what he called a 'gravity room' though.

This was the moment of truth. Trunks didn't hesitate once he'd reached the right frequency. There was no point in second guessing himself at this juncture. He flashed to super saiyan, forming the edge of the pulse into a blast, just as he would with normal ki. He poured all the energy he could down the wavelength of it. Trunks fired at the exact spot in the sky where he knew the PTO's planet would be. Precision, he could practice, _had_ practiced all his life.

It worked. He could feel the wave of it propelling outward, just as he'd hoped. There was nothing to see moving forward though, since it was all magnetism and electrons. With a grin, he charged himself again, feeling even greater determination. The first blast was to clear all the particulate debris in space between them. This second wave was the one that would actually cause damage when it hit.

The King didn't hold back. He pushed every fiber and cell in his body to give it's all, to power their victory. When he let it loose, he promised himself that this time would be different. They _would_ wipe out the scourge that was the PTO, wipe them out of existence entirely.

"You have _got_, to teach me that" Gohan was looking at him in awe when he was done, not having expected this. Trunks smiled at him, accepting the praise.

"I thought you'd have some sort of device or bomb or something Bulma gave you..." the General shook his head.

"Well, I am my mother's greatest invention" the King winked at his grinning bond mate. He could hear the other warriors commenting excitedly behind them as well. With a beckoning hand, he motioned Gohan closer to him.

"This is probably going to hurt a little..." he said as he touched the other male's shoulder. Static discharged over their skin, making both of them jump.

"Shit" Gohan said rubbing his arm, "That'll wake you up in the morning..."

"Everyone needs to discharge before taking out their capsules" the King ordered, hearing quite a bit of swearing going on as he was obeyed. It couldn't be helped though, the effect would have been the same, even standing on the surface. Saiyans were just built to store energy.

"Ready then? Capsules out."

Those who had ships with shields went first, just in case. It was a tense ride, no matter where in the grouping you were. As they approached the planet, Trunks' heart swelled, hope surging through it.

The surface was utterly dark.

When they landed, they weren't fired upon at all.

...Caution...

Trunks held onto it tightly, not letting his hope run away with him. Landing in the section still lit by daylight, the half breeds exited their ships immediately. Trunks didn't sense any lifeforms of significance while they were putting their capsules away...

"They had some soldiers who weren't modified at all on earth, this is still a fight" Gohan reminded all of them as they spread out. Super saiyans were scattered throughout them, but no one powered up just yet. The best fighting pairs were always bond mates, so they tried to keep those close to each other as well. It was only a starting formation after all.

Things always changed in battle, as soon as the first shots were fired.

Their objective was in sight, so they warily began heading for it. The ice demons were just as prideful of a race as the saiyans, and their palace even more massive. At least with seeing that, they had some idea of what they were up against now... They were still a good ways from the gates when they finally met with resistance. Just as Trunks had theorized, only the all organic soldiers were able to function properly. The half breeds mowed through them. A few of the less experienced super saiyans were transforming just from the excitement of battle.

They gave themselves away.

Shortly after the first transformations happened, a piercing spike of power shot up from the palace. Without even questioning _how_ he knew it, Trunks understood what power built of pure _hatred_ felt like now. He wiped the sweat from his brow as they all readied themselves to be attacked. He realized now that creating those pulses earlier had taken quite a bit out of him, but he didn't want to say it out loud. Upon feeling the wave of power that rolled over them, the King knew something was going gravely wrong.

The soldiers they had been fighting turned around and ran away.

"Let them go" he ordered, controlling his voice. They all kept scanning their surroundings as the tension built. Suddenly Trunks noticed the temperature plummet, so much so that he could see the breath in front of his face. He and Gohan were in the head of the grouping, facing the palace. So much power was pouring out of it, he was sure the ground should be shaking by now. They all watched in confused fascination as the entire structure began to crack and shatter instead.

They were all on high alert, but the speed with which it happened was astounding. Even the metal of the gates began to frost over and then splinter. Without warning, whatever was affecting the palace burst outward toward them. There was no glow of power or sound to indicate the rush, just the freezing of everything in front of them. The ground was white with ice, all moisture hardening instantly as it raced toward them. Shit.

Trunks jumped into flight, not wanting to take the chance... He turned to check on those behind him as he did. The few who had thought to follow his lead, and were quick enough, had made it. The rest were frozen in place where any part of them touched the ground. Gohan beside him, was unmoving.

Before Trunks could process what the skipping in his heart meant, the ice that covered his bond mate began to glow from within. Then it began to crack, giving way to a golden light beneath. Several of the others who were immobilized reacted the same way. The super saiyan ki reflected everywhere over the glass-like surfaces. A good half of their force was trapped though, and did not possess the ability to transform. It was so cold, every breath felt raw in Trunks' lungs.

..._Saiyans_...

Trunks heard a feminine voice whisper all around them. The ice began to creep back up over the cracks and holes that Gohan had made.

"No, Gohan!" Trunks feared to touch his prison, since it was touching the ground that had spread it. "Fight it!" he yelled, transforming himself.

..._Saiyans killed them_... ..._Saiyans_... ..._I hate them_... ..._You will all die here_...

A surge of ki finally overwhelmed icy bonds, and suddenly Gohan sprang free of the ground. The others were still fighting at their losing battles though.

"Stay with them" Gohan said, before Trunks could even sigh in relief. All at once the palace behind them began to actually _implode_, the noise like a thousand shattered mirrors as it fell. Trunks knew Gohan wasn't doing that. What kind of enemy destroyed their own home?... The King's bond mate watched it with stoic determination.

"What are you talking about, stay?" Trunks asked.

"The voice... I could hear her in my head while I was trapped. She calls herself the Crystalline Empress... She was Frieza and Cooler's mother" Gohan said, looking a little pale.

"Shit" Trunks swore.

"She was pretty pissed already...but I think her finding out my father was one of the ones that killed her son just ticked her off even more" Gohan grimaced.

"Why would you do that?" Trunks asked in disbelief, hitting him in the shoulder. If Gohan thought he was going to get away with drawing the danger to himself like that, he had another thing coming. Gohan spared a glance at his King.

"I didn't... She, was in my mind... She's the one who told me..." he made himself say the words, but he tried shake his mind of their meaning, needing to focus. Out of the cascading, glittering rubble, a being was rising into the sky. It had the form of an ice demon all right, but _she_ was an almost solid purple, instead of white. The King had been shown their old enemies' likenesses, and her shape was closer to Frieza's. The purple of her inverted coloring was much deeper though.

"I could hear _you_ while I was in there too though, so don't give up on them" Gohan said, squeezing Trunks' arm. He kept one eye on their towering opponent as he powered up as far as he could.

"Just hold her off until I can free them, and I'll join you..." Trunks replied, as his position of 'King' required him too. If Gohan went and did something stupid like died for him right now, he would be beyond pissed. Letting his anger _overtake_ him was something only an untrained cub would do though. He would not let Gohan sacrifice himself. To prevent that, he needed to be at his side. Before he could go to his side, Trunks had to free the rest of the males.

Going step by step helped in pushing the fear back just as well as the anger, he found. Cheering each individual on until they cracked enough to break free would take forever. He needed to help more than one at a time, or all of them at once. Some of the others were trying to free their bond mates with very small ki blasts at the foreign ice. They weren't making much progress. Stronger blasts might hurt the ones they were trying to save though.

Trunks could feel the battle starting without him, and he wanted to cry in frustration. Think. _Think_.

There were things that could be done with ki, that didn't hurt. Trunks rose a little further into the air, to tell everyone else to clear out. A few less careful brats had accidentally touched those they fought to free, and were now solidified too.

"Get back, don't touch them! Watch the perimeter!" Trunks ordered, flying into roughly the middle of the area they occupied. He didn't have thirty tries to figure this out though. Bring up his ki, Trunks focused and turned it into a frequency instead of a destructive energy. Nothing happened. He changed his power, sliding the frequency up a notch. Still nothing.

Taking a deep breath, Trunks kept adjusting, watching Gohan trade blows with the demon Empress all the while. Then he felt something, almost, like a pushing back... Resonating... His power was creating a resonance with the ice! Trunks kept the same edge to his ki, and steadily increased the force behind it.

A hum began to grow in the air, reverberating through all the ice around him, not just that covering the half breeds.

"Fight it!" Trunks yelled, remembering Gohan's ability to still hear him. "You are saiyans! You will never be slaves!" he yelled, "Refuse it!"

Sounds like splintering wood and fracturing glass pierced through the humming. Then the rest of the half breeds began pushing against it with their own power too. The King felt hope spring through him, but he had a hard time looking at them, and not at his bond mate.

Gohan dodged and wove, striking and blocking in the air. Unfortunately, his blows didn't seem to be doing a whole lot... It held her attention though, which was good. Then a few minutes after they started, Gohan began to hear a strange humming noise. The sleek demon he battled turned her head suddenly toward the ground. She hissed a noise of pure hatred in Trunks' direction. Around the King, cracks were forming in all the ice, and encased half breeds flickered with untapped power.

Gohan was sure she would make a dive for the commotion below, fire off an attack, something like that. The hiss seemed to be swallowed up in her mouth though, and her nostrils flared. Her head turned back to Gohan with a threateningly snake-like grace.

"..._You call us 'ice' demons, in your tongue_..." he heard in his head, though her mouth didn't move. Gohan panted, afraid to blink, lest he miss her charge...

"..._Stupid monkey_... ..._We are demons of the VOID..._" her voice rang in Gohan's head as he watched her pupils blow out. Pitch black filled the entire space where her eyes should have been. Then he felt the air pressure abruptly change around them. He knew. He couldn't see it, because he was looking at her, but he didn't need to. Gohan had actually been nearly sucked out into space once as a cub, so he knew what the pressure popping like that meant. He dove for Trunks with the Empress' laughter cackling in his head.

Behind the King, a swirling portal was opening, leading to the darkness of twinkling stars. Every ounce of speed Gohan possessed, he poured on then.

Trunks had certainly felt the air shift. His frown was all for Gohan though, rocketing toward him and away from the enemy. Then the King began to feel himself being pulled backward... Gohan was grabbing his arm the next instant though, pulling him forward.

"What are you doing?" Trunks practically shouted, the hum being almost overwhelmingly loud at its epicenter.

"Fly! She's trying to suck us out into space!" Gohan's power surged around him, urging him to let go of the resonance.

Trunks could feel the enemy soldiers from before, finally returning to the battle. Ki blasts and fighting were being renewed all around them as the free half breeds were engaged again. The pull behind him increased dramatically, and the King slipped backwards a little. The chips of ice being broken off of those still trapped were flying past them, into the portal. Almost all of the half breeds were sustaining their own super saiyan glows in the battle against the encasements now.

Trunks let his experimental technique fall away, and put his energy into flying. The little he had left at this point, anyway. He and Gohan both tried to escape the pull with everything they had. The disk of emptiness grew even larger behind them. Academically, Trunks knew that if they fell too far down the slipstream of the air being sucked out, it would be impossible to claw their way back.

The Crystalline Empress gently touched down on the ground, unaffected by the pull of space. She was a ways off, stalking with a deadly grace toward the first of those anchored in ice. She kept her head facing Gohan and the King as she traced a finger down the edge of an encasement.

The entire thing, victim and all, disintegrated into a white powder. Trunks watched in horror as it flowed into the void behind them. Trunks watched with a different kind of horror as they slipped closer and closer to it themselves.

"..._Space is too good for you_... ..._Saiyans_..." She had a small smile quirked over her lips as she turned another half breed into icy dust. Would it make a difference if she tried it on a super saiyan one? Would they survive that long? Trunks felt angry for the loss of those entrusted to him, and tried to focus on that now. He needed power, he needed to be stronger than this, or he would get them both, get them _all_ killed...

Gohan's fingers were digging into his skin. His bond mate still had him by the arm, pulling with all he had. The King's feet dangled through the void, his power flickering.

"Trunks! No! Don't give up!" Gohan yelled at him. Trunks would never give up; he just was running out of anything else to give in its place...

Gohan was crying. He couldn't help the scream in his throat, knowing there was nothing he could do to save his prince, his King. Emotion poured through his veins, helpless, powerless. He remembered the vision he'd had once before, as the feeling of coming undone inside was so similar. Had they fought so hard, tried so hard to survive Broly, only to die like this?

Why had the gift warned him of Broly, but not if this then? The anger and injustice of it, the pain of loss pulsed through Gohan. It lanced through the very core of him...threatening...tearing at the very fabric of _himself_... Faced with the reality of losing Trunks, Gohan gave up his self control, and gave into it. It didn't matter if it destroyed him, rent him in two. All he needed was a single precious moment to save the male he loved, his own fate be damned.

Gohan's scream of desperation turned into a roar of power as he pulled away from the darkness by sheer force of will. Trunks' heart caught in his throat, watching Gohan winning. Ki sparked and shot through the air, and Trunks gasped to feel it run through him as well. The incredible rush blasted them away from the looming void, and toward a startled she-demon.

Gohan knew now, as a strength he'd never imagined pounded through his body. He knew why he hadn't dreamed of this. They weren't dying here. Using the momentum of his escape velocity, Gohan slammed into the Empress. Before she could widen the breach anymore, it winked out of existence.

Only after it disappeared, did Gohan release Trunks' arm. Then he grappled their foe with renewed determination. He refused to give her another chance to do that little trick. To his surprise and great delight, his blows now left sickening crunching sounds behind them. There was so much ki, so much power, his body physically could not contain it all.

He poured it into punches and kicks, and the excess still sparked off of him out into the air. Gohan knew a couple of attacks that all that extra energy would be useful for. His only consideration was that the line of it be out of the way of Trunks' ki. Everything else faded into the background for him. The others fighting around them, the potential innocents on the planet... He couldn't care too much for anything but annihilating the thing that had almost killed his love.

The Crystalline Empress raged in his mind about filthy monkeys and murder, but she had been caught off guard. She tried her last and best trick too late. Gohan's mind was already firmly cemented on her death when she tried to control it.

His ki blast fired from point blank into her, not wanting to give her a chance to escape. The tendrils prodding at his brain fell away, and Gohan heard himself screaming once again into the attack. _Power_. Power soaked every particle of his being, obliterated the ice demon into _nothing_ before him. The power itself seemed calling to him, urging him to pull more and more of it through his body. How much could he take... Were there limits anymore?...

"Gohan! The planet!" Trunks yelled at him, feeling it shake and crackle beneath them in a way that planets most definitely should _not_.

The voice of his King brought him back to reality. The voice of the male he loved. Gohan let go of the power, because in the end, it wasn't what was important. It was just a means to an end. The means to saving Trunks. Besides, now that he knew it was there, he could tap back into it at any time.

Gohan turned and headed over to Trunks' side, flying out of the crater he had created. The King was still sitting on the ground where Gohan had dropped him. His arm was bleeding badly, and Trunks clutched it as he watched his bond mate approach.

Even having let the transformation go, the male walking toward him still felt as strong as a super saiyan to the King.

"Hey, are you ok?" Gohan asked, squatting beside him and touching his torn flesh.

"It's just a love wound" Trunks said, his voice filled with a gentle awe. Gohan blushed for the phrasing, which implied it had been given in sex by a mate... He met Trunks' eyes, and saw all the love he'd just done the impossible for reflected back to him.

"Sorry about that..." he still felt the need to apologize, even if just for show.

"I'd much rather this, than for you to have let go" Trunks smiled, putting his hand on Gohan's cheek and stroking it with his thumb. They kissed only briefly, knowing there was still much left to be done.

After that, Gohan began noticing the half breeds that had been trapped were free. Nearly all of them were super saiyan now too. Aaron bound Trunks' arm, though he wasn't in any real danger from the damage. Warmth was flooding back into the landscape now that the last ice demon was gone. The General wasn't sure if he should wait until he and Trunks were alone to bring this up... He had a feeling the King would want to know right away though.

"Trunks... When I was fighting her, at the end there..." he started, giving the King a chance to stop him if he cared too. Trunks didn't.

"She tried to control my mind... Even when she was inside it before, just speaking... Those headdresses did come from here. She tricked Paragus, which probably wasn't that difficult... She wanted to watch us destroy ourselves from within, like we did to Frieza and Cooler... That's how much she hated us" he said evenly. Trunks nodded, having guessed much the same thing.

"We need to search for any left enslaved and free them first, then we'll see what we can find in the way of proof. Your word is all I need of course, but those on vegeta-sei may want something physical... Freeing the rest of the planet is our top priority though" the King instructed. "Even if their headbands got fried, people may still be trapped in cells and prisons. And everyone be careful, you may still meet pockets of resistance here and there. Is there anyone left who is not part of a bond that has a super saiyan in it?" Trunks asked the crowd. It took a few minutes of checking, but only three paired bond mates, and a few without bond mates at all, came to the front.

The King portioned them out so that none were exploring in a party without the ability to transform. Then he told them all to report back to him and Gohan every few hours, whether they found anything or not. Just to be extra safe.

Before they all took off, they observed a moment to remember the two who were lost in the fight. Yuuki and Soh had met a cold death, and there was nothing they could do for them. There weren't even bodies left to bring back to their mothers...

Trunks had to send a transmission to earth as soon as everyone broke off for the search. Though it was good news over all that he had to deliver, he hated having to tell parents their cubs were not coming back. It would feel like a lie to say nothing until they returned though. He didn't want them thinking everything was fine, only to be shocked when the ships touched back down.

Once the message was away, Trunks went and sat in Gohan's lap with a large sigh. In the privacy of their ship, he could take a minute to soak up the comfort Gohan offered. The General rubbed the King's back while he rested.

"Wasn't there supposed to be a fun part to being King?" Trunks asked him. Knowing he needed a little distracting, Gohan kissed him.

"Hmm, I still got to do that when I was just a prince though..." he commented when the kiss was over. Gohan chuckled.

"Well, you got to help over a hundred half breeds turn super saiyan today... I kind of missed getting to see it" Gohan pointed out.

"You were a bit busy" the King snorted, "...You made quite a sight yourself as well... I wasn't really looking at the others anyway" he added softly, making Gohan blush.

"My favorite site from today is you being alive... But yeah...it was quite a rush..." the General finally admitted.

"...Do you think it will be enough?" Trunks asked him softly, no need to explain _for what_.

"Sitting here, with the feel of it so close in my memory, I want to say yes... But we don't actually know how strong Broly is, so..." Gohan seemed hesitant to make quite that far of a jump. Trunks nodded, not pushing him, not wanting to rush in unprepared either.

"There is one thing I'd like you to agree to, that I think is necessary before we go back to vegeta-sei though" Gohan told him, getting Trunks' attention.

"And what's that?"

"I think we shouldn't go back, until you've broken through to the next level also."

Trunks looked at him for a moment, knowing pretty much exactly the type of _training_ such a thing would require of him... But he knew Gohan asked it out of concern, and out of him wanting Trunks to be the best he could. The King sighed again, leaning back down into Gohan's arms and burying his nose in his neck.

"...Fine, I suppose that would be a good idea... And I'll still teach you the EMP thing too, if you want... Because, you know, it is pretty cool..." Trunks said, blushing a tiny bit. Gohan hugged him tightly.

"It's _really_ cool, and so was how you tried to free the others... I was thoroughly impressed..." Gohan said right away, purring slightly.

"Good, you better be" Trunks wrapped their tails together, nipping at his bond mate's neck. They were interrupted a few minutes later by the first reports starting to come in, but it was ok. They would still have a few weeks on the ride back to earth, to be impressed with each other.


	20. Chapter 20 - Take Flight

"I don't suppose... If I saved you a ship... ...You'd agree to leave with the last batch of brats..." Bardock cornered Toma the day before the final wave. He could feel his bond mate's anger radiating between them before he even finished completely.

"Not on your life" Toma said fiercely, frowning at him from against the wall.

"They'll need a competent, adult leader..." Bardock continued to try, but couldn't look Toma in the eye as he spoke.

"Bullshit, it's sitting in a rundown pod for two months. Anyone can do that if it really _needs_ doing" Toma didn't try to escape Bardock's hold anymore, just let the tone in his words speak for him.

"We're going to die here..." Bardock said, the pain of loss already seeping into his voice. Toma drew a slow breath as his bond mate leaned their foreheads together. Bardock's eyes were starting to well with tears, even while closed. So be it. Toma didn't even ask if he'd had a vision, if it was something he'd _seen_. It didn't matter to him at that point. He put his hand on the back of Bardock's neck, supporting.

"Hey, that's what we always planned, right? From the beginning...to die together" Toma reminded him, wrapping his tail around his bond mate's.

"Yeah, but we were young and invincible then..." Bardock whispered to him. Toma smiled to hear that, and kissed him. He found they'd been doing a lot more kissing lately than normal.

"You _may_ be romanticizing the past just a little... Remember that whole 'Frieza' thing?" he softly chided him. He bumped their foreheads together again, trying to lighten the mood.

"Shit, you're right..." Bardock laughed sadly then, wiping at the tears in his eyes. Toma gave him an encouraging smile, fine with dying at his bond mate's side, whenever it may be.

"Do me one other favor though," Bardock asked him before pulling away, "Smack me if I ever complain again about the attitude Vegeta used to give us."

~/~

The half breeds were hailed as heroes on earth. King Furry had officially recognized Trunks as vegeta-sei's rightful ruler. It had been agreed that the alliance between their peoples would continue, through him. They decided to adhere to the same basic terms as before, for now. The sharing of technology, the sharing of protection, both of which Trunks had already been upholding. The restriction on saiyans hunting down any of earth's intelligent life forms while on planet did seem kind of silly now though. But it wasn't exactly something Trunks minded signing.

He placed his own name just below his father's, staring at the signature for a moment. The scrawl of "Vegeta, son of Vegeta" above it made certain memories threaten to distract him. He indulged them just a bit, as he slid the document back. Perhaps, someday, when this time of exile was just a memory too...he would have a son to carry on the name...

It wasn't something he normally liked to think about. The rigors Gohan was putting him through lately though... Sometimes it had him wondering if he'd survive to take back vegeta-sei. He could tell he was definitely getting stronger, but he hadn't broken through yet. Some nights Gohan carried him to the tanks more quickly than others, when they were done. Last night had been one of those...

It didn't seem to make any difference how many times he nearly died though. Trunks wasn't sure what they were doing wrong... Or if it was just that he had started out _that_ much weaker than Gohan... He would catch up though. He had to. Gohan was going to make sure of it. His bond mate yelled at him to let go, to give into it, lose himself in the power while he was inches from dying... Sometimes Trunks felt like he was just disappointing him now... But he refused to give up.

In that respect, he had the stubbornness handed down from two different parents to fall back on.

Once he returned from his meeting with earth's King, Trunks readied himself for the upcoming spar. Appointments and schedulings, things like 'sleeping', all revolved around their training now. He tied his hair back, knowing this would be another intense session. No jewelry, no crowns, not even armor. The point was for him to take the hit.

Some of the other half breeds had even commented on the brutality of what they were doing. The King and his General ate breakfast alone, but the other meals they shared with the rest of those training. Which was pretty much _all_ the rest of the half breeds.

"So..." Aaron addressed Gohan, "You're like, really trying to kill him out there?..." He kind of winced as he asked, having been watching them go at it the day before.

"Yeah, of course" Gohan answered, as if that should have been obvious. His matter of fact manner made Trunks smile as he ate.

"But, even if he wasn't the King, that's still, your _bond mate_" Aaron said, disbelieving. Gohan chewed while he looked at him for a moment.

"Well, it has to be done though... I guess, it's like when your father tries to kill you, you know" Gohan motioned toward the younger male with his roll, not stopping his intake of food.

"My father never tried to _kill_ me" Aaron said, raising an eyebrow at the General, his shock at this conversation clearly growing.

"Oh, that's right, he was off world a lot, wasn't he... Your brother then?"

Aaron shook his head, then looked to Katsu, sitting right beside him. The two of them shared a moment of obviously thinking the General had lost it.

"Mine did once" Cumin spoke up, "That's how he decided I'd be better suited to being an attendant or counselor, rather than a guard." He didn't really seem phased by it. Leaning over, Aaron caught Casey's eye, farther down the table.

"Hey, Casey, has your father ever tried to kill _you_?"

Casey snorted. Cumin stole a piece of chicken off Aaron's plate, since he wasn't paying attention.

"A few times, why?" the green eyed male asked back, like Aaron was the one being odd.

"Uh, just wondering... Is that, normal?" he kind of asked to the general gathering around them. Trunks caught his eye right at the end of it.

"Most saiyans try to kill their young at least once... To see what they're made of, that kind of thing" Trunks commented. Aaron nodded, but he and Katsu still looked kind of puzzled.

"It's more than that though" Gohan said a little more loudly than he probably needed to. Several ears all stopped to listen to what he had to say.

"When my father tried to kill me, when Bardock did... It was to make me stronger, so I'd survive. Just like with sparring, but even more so. It's... Saiyans aren't exactly very expressive, we all know that... But it was like it meant they trusted me, to be worth the effort, worth the time it took to try..." Gohan said resolutely, obviously lost in a memory or two at the moment.

Trunks watched him speak, with a growing warmth spreading through his chest. He knew exactly what those words meant for the two of them, and what they attempted here. Nudging Gohan in the ribs, he caught his eye.

"I love you too" the King said with a smile, making Gohan blush from neck to forehead. Snickering and knowing chuckles rose up around them, but neither minded it at all. The General sat and burned for a second, then leaned over and kissed his King on the cheek. He went back to eating his food as calmly as he could in the middle of the commotion. It was true enough, everything he did was out of love for Trunks.

Later, after another unsuccessful spar, Gohan began to wonder if maybe he was going about this the wrong way though...

He watched Trunks floating in the blue fluid for a moment, before letting himself be put in. There was nothing he wouldn't do for him. He knew Trunks felt the same way about him, even though his title got in the way sometimes.

It wasn't until the liquid was rising up over his own body that he suddenly had a revelation. At their next spar, he _would_ make Trunks break through...he _had_ to.

~/~

"Fuck, what's with you today?" Trunks spat out blood as Gohan circled him. They had been fighting for hours, with the General slowly wearing him down. It felt like his hits were harder though, more reckless than normal. Like he was somehow holding back _less than before_.

Gohan was quiet for a moment, a longer moment than usual. There were always a dozen reasons he threw in Trunks' face for needing to do this. When none flew at him immediately, it made the King's stomach twist.

"Gohan?..."

"...I'm not going to be enough, Trunks..." Gohan looked him in the eye, fear simmering under his normal determination.

"What do you mean?..." the King asked, his heart pounding against his ribs.

"I mean, you _have_ to break through, Trunks...you... You're going to have a sister...if you can break through..."

Icy fear gripped Trunks' chest in that moment, knowing what Gohan's words implied.

"And if you don't, she's never going to be born..." the General finished, dejectedly forming a ball of ki in his hands as he did. He looked shaken and on the verge of tears.

"What did you see?" Trunks demanded to know, his voice quavering. His breath was coming in gasps between the pain he was already in, and the future closing in around him.

"I...don't want to tell you..." Gohan shook his head, tears streaming down his face. The ki in his palms took on epic proportions, ones that Trunks suddenly realized he _had_ to block.

"Gohan..." Trunks yelled with a warning frustration. He didn't care how bad it was, he needed to know. "Tell me!" he ordered as he gathered his defense.

Gohan didn't. He fired instead.

His idiot bond mate was going to kill them all at this rate. Trunks boiled inside; fear, anger, disbelief, all surging and vying through his veins.

"Answer me!" he screamed against the blast, holding it steady, "Answer m-"

"He's not just going to leave us alone!" Gohan yelled, and even from this distance, Trunks could still see the fear in him. Suddenly Gohan's power spiked upward, the fullness of his transformation complete. The power through his attack stayed the same though, for the moment.

"He's going to come _here_ Trunks, and I'm not going to be enough!" Gohan's voice broke with emotion. The crackle and spark of excess ki shot off of the General as he stared the King down. "If you can't break through, it's better for us to die like this" he said, his voice hollow.

...Trust...

"Gohan!..." Trunks yelled, but it was in shock and pleading. _All_ of his bond mate's power poured down the blast in a bulge toward him. Tears ran down the King's face as he screamed in anger.

Gohan had closed his eyes.

They were all dead. He was losing it all. Broly had risen up out of a nightmare and stolen everything from him now. His throne, his planet...even _Gohan_, even his mother...the unborn sister he would never meet. He was so out of his league, so overwhelmed...

He could feel the strength of his love's blast starting to burn him, 'saving' him from some unknown horror... It wasn't right... It wasn't _right_... Without thinking about it, Trunks began to pour all his pain and inadequacy through his own blast. He screamed back at the universe, at fate itself for dealing them this hand.

Suddenly he wanted to laugh, wondering if this was what Gohan had meant by _coming undone_... Did it matter? ...They were all dead... If he let this consume him, and he was wrong, the price was the same...

The power between them seemed to freeze for a split second, as if time itself stood still. Then Trunks' energy exploded past the normal bounds of super saiyan, pushing Gohan's away.

The General's eyes flashed open, feeling the accomplishment that had just been made. He immediately dropped his own power, not wanting to _fight_ Trunks at this level. Gohan was still pretty terrified though. Touching down to the ground, he watched the male he loved struggle with the reality of the new power. It still pulsed and surged through him, one of the most beautiful sights Gohan had ever seen.

"Trunks?" he called out, drawing the King's attention. He could see the flash of his eyes, and Trunks landed shortly after that. The power finally fell away from him, and he made straight for Gohan, a few yards away.

"Tell. Me." the King commanded, short and clipped, staring up at him in anguish. Gohan put his hands on either side of Trunks' face, and kissed him. Trunks let him, but as soon as their lips parted, he spoke again.

"For the love of the moon, Gohan, tell-"

"I lied" Gohan finally answered him in a breathless whisper, letting his hands fall away from Trunks' face. The King looked at him blankly for a moment, unable to comprehend what he had just heard.

"I haven't _seen_ anything... I lied..." Gohan repeated, taking a step back and bowing his head. He looked at Trunks' feet with downcast eyes.

"I lied, and I'm not sorry."

They were beginning to have an audience, from those coming to _see_ what they had just _felt_ a moment ago.

Trunks didn't care though, he still punched Gohan in the face as hard as he could. His bond mate was suddenly sprawled out on the ground, a couple hundred feet away. Trunks stalked toward him again, more upset than he had ever been before in his life.

Gohan leaned up onto one elbow, holding his face with his hand as he watched Trunks approach. He had already accepted whatever his punishment would be for this. It had been necessary, and the only way...

Going all the way up, right to Gohan's side, the King paused for a moment. Then he sank to his knees next to him.

"Trunks-" Gohan started to try to explain.

Trunks slapped him.

Then he glared at him for a few seconds, before collapsing against Gohan's chest. Hesitantly, the General put his hand on the King's back. When no further assault happened, he began to rub it, knowing what he'd just put his bond mate through...

"I realized what the problem was, Trunks. I couldn't _talk_ you through it, it's not that kind of thing... It had to be _real_ to you... I couldn't think of any other way, you know I could never put Bulma or the baby in real danger..." he pleaded with his love to understand.

"But you could put _me_ in it..." the King said, trying to hold onto his anger even though it was slipping away.

"I trusted that you could handle it..." Gohan whispered, nuzzling his head against Trunks'.

The King sighed and pushed himself up, so he could see his General's face. He stared at him silently for a moment.

"We may be too much like our fathers for our own good..." he said tiredly. Gohan couldn't help it, he grinned back at him.

"Well, at least we've still got Bulma to keep us in line then" he said, earning himself a much more playful shove against the ground this time.

"So I'm not really going to have a sister..." Trunks said a minute later as they were finally standing up.

"I don't know... You still might..." Gohan said somewhat sheepishly.

"Do you have any idea the horrible, awful things I was imagining?" Trunks huffed one last time, still annoyed even though he really did understand.

"Yeah, that was kind of the point... The thing is though, even if it's not us, there still _are_ packs he's doing those things to, lives he's destroying..." Gohan said in his defense.

The King took his General's hand, and held it as they walked over to the waiting crowd. After seeing the scuffle continue, they had all wisely hung back.

"Not for long..." Trunks said with determination, "Not for long."

~/~

Six months. That's all it had taken for Broly to destroy two generations worth of saiyan civilization. The King looked down on the face of vegeta-sei, as presented by Bulma's satellite images. The palace was practically in ruins, the main hall just a crater now. It was suspiciously like the kind made from powering up too high too quickly.

The city itself didn't look to be faring much better. Large sections of it were burnt out, unrepaired blast marks prominent on most buildings. The spaceport was completely abandoned, not a ship could be seen on the planet. The last batch of brats hadn't been kidding when they said Bardock had run out of them...

"I started looking into it after Gohan did his crazy power up thing, but you kept saying you weren't ready yet..." Bulma sighed, upset by the pictures as well.

There was a large scar of total obliteration running from the palace, cutting through the edge of the city, and trailing off into the wilds.

"How many did he kill with that alone?..." Trunks asked, shaking his head in disbelief, not really expecting an answer.

"The satellites can scan for power levels of incoming threats... I turned one toward the planet, because I wondered too, how bad it was... By their count, lifeforms strong enough to be saiyans... A little over fifty thousand..." Bulma nearly whispered the last part.

The King rested his head in his hands for a moment, even in the middle of council. He felt Gohan's tail wrap around his leg under the table, and was thankful for the commiseration. Trunks' only small piece of comfort at the moment, was that at least they had not been resting on their laurels here. He silently thanked his bond mate for his deceitful tactics the day before. It would mean less lost their lives in the long run.

"There's us and the cubs we have here too," Gohan said, "Plus, some may have fled into the-"

"No, Gohan, that number is the whole planet..." Bulma looked nearly in tears herself. "I figured some of the smarter ones would have run into the wilds..."

That meant... Broly had killed almost half of their population. Anger burned in Trunks' throat, threatening to spill out of his chest of its own accord.

"Fuck" Bulma groaned, clutching her side. She picked up a stapler sitting on the table near her, and threw it at her son.

"Power down, you idiot!" she continued to curse for a moment, rubbing her stomach. Trunks had easily dodged the projectile of course. He did as she said right away, confused and caught off guard by the moment.

"Are, you ok?..." he asked.

"Ugh, you're kidding, right? Why do you think I made you guys do your training on the other side of the planet? Every time there's too much power around, the baby gets all worked up" Bulma grimaced. "When _you_ broke through yesterday, _I_ got a ruptured spleen out of it" she informed him, rolling her eyes. "My internal organs are only human, you know."

Trunks did know, but he hadn't realized she was being affected like that...

"I'm sorry, mother... I'll be more careful" he said worriedly. Bulma scoffed at the concern in his voice.

"Well, it's nothing a night in the tanks couldn't heal" she said with a wave of her hand. "I think I'm pretty much ruled out of joining you guys on vegeta-sei for the fight though" she sighed. "The last thing I need is this little guy trying to pop out all on his own to join the battle" she made what Trunks considered a slightly disturbing 'bursting' motion with her hands as she said it. The other mothers at the table chuckled, Brighid smiling at her particularly knowingly.

"There could still be more than that left on the planet too..." the General said to try and steer things back on track. This was a war meeting after all. Though he gladly stored away that pertinent information on Bulma's condition, they had a lot to plan today.

The King felt his bond mate's hand slide into his, and he looked over to him.

"There's all different kinds of smart" the General said firmly, "Some would run, but some might keep their ki low and hide. Those, the scanners wouldn't be able to tell from an animal, would they?" Gohan asked the last part to Bulma.

"No, they wouldn't, you're right. I don't have a way to tell actual saiyans, just power levels" she confirmed, looking more hopeful for that theory as well. Trunks squeezed Gohan's hand.

"So," the King said, taking a deep breath, "Since the systems and sensors are obviously still working, can we get _full_ control of them?" he asked. He had a feeling he knew the answer already. It was probably best to let his mother brag a little though, to appease his earlier actions.

"Oh please, Trunks, I _own_ those computers. Literally. If there's a circuit board on the entire planet that doesn't have 'Capsule Corp' stamped on it's ass, I'd be surprised" Bulma crossed her arms over her chest. "Just tell me what you want to happen, and it's done" she said, nodding in a very pleased with herself manner. Trunks gave her a grin, and thought about the possibilities for a moment.

"If you can control them... Can you make it look like they're broken? Have them start malfunctioning a few weeks before we even get there?" the King asked.

"Sure, no problem. It's not like there'd be anyone with the know-how to try and fix them anyway" Bulma elaborated, "I could make them go haywire, thinking things are crashing into the planet when there's nothing there, detecting ki _everywhere_, all kinds of stuff. They might get so annoyed they'd just shut it off themselves..."

"Perfect."

~/~

"How long has this light been flashing?" Bardock stopped abruptly. A cape had been thrown over the entire console, muting the panel's display.

"Ah, couple weeks now... Thing's totally busted. The warning lights started going off in the middle of the night when there was nothing there. Thank the moon the sirens didn't trigger... We were able to disable the alarms in the general palace before _anyone_ got upset. This is the main terminal though, can't shut it off without cutting power to the entire building..." the guard informed him.

Bardock could only imagine what would have happened if Broly had been woken to blaring sirens and flashing lights.

"Good job then..." he nodded, pulling off the fabric and studying the console. "Here, I'll take over for a bit, try and see if I can reboot it" he added, dismissing the guard.

"Well, when I say 'disable', I mean we went through and tore the entire components off the walls as quickly as we could... Even if you get it working, it's not going to do much good anymore..." the guard shrugged his shoulders.

Bardock sighed. He supposed it was the lesser of two evils, what they had done...

"Still, maybe it'll take my mind off things to mess with it for a bit..." Bardock sat down at the terminal, and the guard nodded. The younger male left the room shortly after that. Probably to take a moment to hunt up some food while he could. It took Bardock a minute to realize that in the palace's general disarray, he hadn't even noticed the alarms were gone...

He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there, staring at the glitching screen, when Toma came in looking for him. He shut the door behind him, locking it. Which wasn't an uncommon move to make these days.

"This system was made on earth" Bardock said quietly, not looking at his bond mate. "Bulma installed it _herself_... It doesn't just _malfunction_" he said, a bit of a glare entering his features.

Toma opened the thermos he was carrying, and set down a pair of cups, silently absorbing the words.

"Shit" Bardock swore, rubbing his face with his hands, "They didn't listen to me."

Toma poured their coffee, then handed the straight black drink to his bond mate.

"I don't know why you thought they would" he said, like it was rather obvious. He wasn't being mean though, just pointing it out... Bardock gave him a look, but accepted the cup.

"Is this coffee?" he sniffed, frowning, "There hasn't been coffee in the kitchens in _months_."

"Well, we're special" Toma said, sipping his with a grin. Bardock was glad he didn't have the drink to his lips, because he snorted at that. Shaking his head, he finally began drinking his as well. After a few moments, he set the cup down though.

"I can't believe we're just sitting here, calmly drinking coffee while the end could begin at any time..." he sighed. Toma took a moment to regard him, before speaking.

"You know, I knew this male once..." he started, "Who could see the future..."

Bardock raised an eyebrow at him in the pause, asking for the resolution to that statement.

"Sometimes he got so used to it though, he had a hard time living in the present..." Toma said evenly. Bardock wanted to feel riled at the accusation, but he valued Toma's view too much to dismiss it like that.

"It's out of our hands... Has been for a long time... Just, enjoy your coffee while you can" Toma sighed, finishing the thought. He began sipping on his cup again, as if the action would prompt Bardock to do the same. It did.

Looking down to his drink, the slightly chastised male brought it to his lips a few times before venturing to speak again.

"Thanks, for the coffee..." he said softly.

Toma grunted, not looking at him, but at the flickering display.

"I wish it had been liquor, but it was the best I could do" was his soft reply.

Bardock nodded in return. He stole glances at his bond mate out of the corner of his eye as they finished their drinks. When they were done, and getting up to head to the door, Bardock stopped him. He wrapped his tail around Toma, and kissed him, surprising the male.

"...And what do you think you're doing?" Toma asked with a fairly pleased rumble.

"Enjoying you" Bardock smirked.

"Right here in the control room?" Toma chuckled.

"No time like the present" Bardock threw his words back at him while pushing him to the floor. Toma didn't fight back at all. They hadn't had sex in such an 'inappropriate' place since they were brats still figuring out what went where. They knew now though. It just felt right to give into it. Toma didn't think he'd ever been kissed so much while Bardock pumped into him before...

When they were done, there was nothing broken around them, just a strong purring filling the room.

"I love you" Bardock said, his lips pressed against Toma's ear. "I should have married you a long time ago..." he confessed. Toma wrapped his arms around his bond mate, hugging him tightly.

"I thought about it a few years back, when the brats did it...but I didn't say anything, 'cause we were too young..." Toma gently returned the confession, "I love you too."

Bardock smiled, then chuckled at Toma's former concerns. He snuggled against his bond mate, closing his eyes for a moment.

"We had a good life together..." he said pensively.

"Hey, we're not dead _yet_" Toma replied gruffly, making Bardock need to kiss him again. Toma ran his fingers over the red bandana on his bond mate's forehead.

"I should have known you'd turn into one of those sentimental old males as soon as you tied our bonding cloth around your head..." he commented fondly.

"Yeah," Bardock smiled, "You probably should have."


	21. Chapter 21 - Landing

The largest gatherings of ki were in the city itself, and in clustered pockets on the opposite side of the planet. Apparently the wildlings had pulled back as far as they could from society's fringes. That was fine though, it worked well for Trunks' purposes. They were less than a day away from landing on the city's outskirts now. Hopefully they could lure Broly over a more uninhabited area for the fight.

He wasn't sure about the wisdom of taunting an insane super saiyan... But if it helped keep their battle from claiming a single extra life, it would be worth it.

"When we're fighting him, I'll try and make sure you get the killing blow" Gohan said tersely as they both watched vegeta-sei loom in the distance. Trunks turned to his bond mate, a deep and well earned anger filling him.

"Don't you dare" he said, his blue eyes flashing. "If you get a shot, you _take_ it. No matter what. _Kill_ him first, we can play politics _after_ that..."

~/~

Bardock blamed his old age, to anyone who asked. Not that there were many left to. Ask, that was. It was perfectly normal to reminisce about the days of adventure past, to stare up at the stars... Both Bardock and Toma waited and watched, knowing there would be no warning. It was only a few days later that they finally saw what they had been looking for.

A single, Capsule Corp style ship, making re-entry through the atmosphere.

Toma took a hold of his bond mate's hand. Depending on how things went with the mad King, this may be the only sight they got to see. There was no doubt in their minds that it would be both Trunks and Gohan on that vessel. What they didn't expect, was for there to be other ships with them as well. It was one thing for the brats to risk this themselves, but it angered Bardock to see the few dozen dots littering their wake.

Then suddenly the entire sky was filled with burning, as _hundreds_ of ships broke through behind them.

"What the fuck are they doing?" Bardock said in disbelief, his blood running cold. All those brats... Even if the strongest of them had wanted to come back too, Trunks shouldn't have just _let_ them...

~/~

It could very well be that the disruption of their landing drew Broly to them right away. So Trunks and Gohan were ready before even entering the atmosphere. They had chosen the armor they were married in, to possibly die in. They opted to forgo the capes. A bit of brashness was called for, as outcast royalty landing back on the planet. Fighting in capes would just be foolish though.

Trunks tried to clear his mind of it's useless chatter, focusing on keeping his ki down instead. There was a timing to all this that they hoped to pull off, if given the chance. If they were simply attacked straight off, they would have to just do the best they could. But if they weren't...

As the strongest, Trunks and Gohan would land first, prepared to defend the rest of the ships. If they all successfully touched down, the next step was to draw Broly to them and away from the city. Trunks figured that would be the least difficult juncture. Then once they had engaged him, the rest of the half breeds would go super saiyan and do their best to contain the boundaries of the battle.

Trunks didn't anticipate a whole lot of resistance from the saiyans themselves.

Even if there was some, they shouldn't pose any real threat to super saiyans. The most pressing concern was keeping Broly from blowing up the planet as they fought. He hoped they would be enough. For a battle like this, Trunks had refused to let any who were not already super saiyan on the ships. All the mothers and other cubs would wait a few planets away. It was the same one where Trunks and Gohan had spent their honeymoon, actually.

His restriction backfired a bit, when so many pushed themselves to transform before the deadline... Some of them were younger than he would have allowed, if he had suspected this of twelve year olds. The desire to do battle... To take back their home... It burned in Trunks too though, and he couldn't deny them it, once they'd transformed. If they were that strong, they had the right.

Besides... The echos of Gohan's lie made him afraid for what would happen to earth, and the universe, if they failed...

~/~

Bardock and Toma abandoned the palace. Practically everyone else had in the preceding months already. They weren't going any specific place, just _away_. When Broly powered up, they didn't want to be anywhere near him. It looked like quite a few in the city had noticed the landing the brats made too. Hell, it would have been pretty impossible not to, if you were outside.

Every saiyan around them, every saiyan with any shred of instinct left in them, ran. Away from the landing site, away from the palace, away from the murder that was about to happen. The far edge of the wilds teamed with saiyans like it hadn't in centuries.

At the ships, watching carefully, Trunks felt yet another blow being dealt to the warrior legend of their race. It was better this way of course, but it stilled something inside him, that this was now the saiyan's first reaction.

Soon all of the half breed force had exited their vessels. Trunks tried to give the fleeing citizens a few more moments, but he couldn't contain his anger indefinitely. He knew it might make no difference in the long run anyway, _where_ on the planet they hid.

Taking to the air, he rose high enough as to be visible from all around. With calculated effort, he kept his power down and even. His newest technique didn't require a great deal of it anyway.

"_BROLY!_"

Trunks yelled, even though with his voice amplified in waves of ki, he didn't need to.

"_BROLY, YOU TRAITOR, COME OUT AND FIGHT!_"

Bardock felt goosebumps run over his skin as he thought about Trunks not having any idea what he was bringing down upon himself... They could all hear the prince's voice clearly, and the royal rage ringing through it.

Then the ground began to shake.

Bardock and Toma wrapped their tails together, watching from the tree line. They had nowhere left to run, just like everyone else.

Broly rose out of the palace, his power nearly suffocating. The glow of super saiyan flickered in and out of his hair as he floated upward, head cocked to the side.

He was _bathed_ in blood, from head to toe.

"Fight?" Broly said, like it was a question, his nostrils flaring. The amplification carried the reply back. Trunks had wanted to be able to hear his words, if he had any. He was beyond enraged by the state of the monster finally presenting itself to him though. Just a moment more of control...

"You have something that belongs to me" Trunks said, more emotion than he had meant to display showing through in his voice, "My _people_." Finally letting go of his rage, Trunks flashed to super saiyan, roaring at his opponent.

Beside Bardock and Toma, there was a pack a few feet away from them, watching all this as well. It was obviously lead by an older female, whose cubs and their cubs were all grown.

"It's a shame..." she said softly, not taking her eyes off the scene playing out above them, "_He_ would have made a good King..."

Broly roared back, sounding _excited. _The flash of his transformation demolished yet another section of the palace. He charged at Trunks gleefully, and Bardock was afraid there would be no such thing as satisfying his blood lust anymore...

Trunks stayed put in the sky, making Broly come to him.

It kept them farther away from the majority of watchers, but the few miles were nothing to saiyan eyes. They could still see everything in clearly. Trunks was in a blocking stance, ready and waiting as the insane, gore covered 'King' barreled down on him.

Then when Broly was only a dozen feet away from Trunks, there was a sudden spike of power. A _spike_ that Bardock nearly couldn't wrap his mind around. In watching the prince's calling out of their captor, he'd almost forgotten about Gohan.

A blazing ki so intense that it made Bardock's eyes twinge, shot up from the ground. The prince's bodyguard rocketed at an angle, slamming into Broly so hard that he went ricocheting off into the air. Now it put Broly even farther away from the observers.

"That fucking brat" Bardock swore. Gohan was almost as strong as Broly, _all by himself_. The prince immediately moved backward, flying at top speed. It looked like he was trying to get on the other side of their opponent while he was still dazed. Their tactics spoke of an actual _plan_, and Bardock squeezed Toma's hand as hard as he could, feeling the grip returned.

...Trust...

Trunks held his position, above and on the other side of Broly from Gohan. This moment, of the monster clutching himself in pain, would be a perfect time to get in a few good blows. But they both held back, not wanting to draw his awareness to what was happening around him. From spread out in the forest, four hundred half breeds rose up as one.

He hoped they were all up high enough, so their plan to protect the planet didn't damage the planet too badly... They had practiced this on earth, thankfully in the same wastelands they used to spar. The crater that had accidentally been left behind the first time was a bit of an embarrassment to them. But that was what practice was for, to learn, and to get better.

At this close distance, it was abundantly clear that Trunks' initial assumption about Broly was correct. There was no hunt here that had just been interrupted. Noses didn't lie. It was _saiyan_ blood that Broly was covered in...

Bardock felt that angry disbelief again, the same he had upon first seeing the other ships. The hundreds of brats rushing to join the battle were all going to get slaughtered, didn't they understand that? It didn't matter how many of them there were. There was still a good chance of Trunks and Gohan being killed, even as super saiyans.

"None of them know what they're up against..." Toma said in horror. Tears were already forming at the _waste_ of it... They'd put out so much effort to save all the brats they could, and now lives were just being thrown away...

Broly's eyes were blinking, and his arms falling away from their grip on his sides. The complete lack of rationality was evident on his face right away. He ignored Trunks, turning to look down at what had hit him. A few of the troops were not _quite_ in formation yet around them... So Trunks pushed his transformation to the next level, in an effort to distract.

He knew the rest of the half breeds were moving into position as quickly as they could. But there could be _no gaps_ in the sphere, once they powered up. They didn't have the strength or resources to capture Broly again, if this step wasn't successful. Battles were fast and dangerous things, but they _would_ win this one. Or die trying.

The arc and charge of Trunks' ki drew Broly's attention back to him right away. Great. He could see Casey in the air across from him though, giving the signal. He and Gohan both threw up their own momentary shields of ki at the same instant. Any little advantage they could use, they would. Including not taking the stun from four hundred half breeds going super saiyan all around them at once.

When they felt Trunks' power suddenly jump, nearly matching Gohan's in it's intensity, Bardock was confused. He was missing something here. Trunks wouldn't put all these cubs in danger for no reason.

Then their entire field of vision exploded with power, like the sun itself had just crashed into the planet. While they were all turning and shielding their eyes, the wave of actual ki came and hit them.

Even being miles away, they were all blown back. Trees ripped out of the ground and sailed with them, limbs of all kinds landing in heaps on the ground. The _power_. It felt like even from here, the power would burn everything to cinders.

Bardock and Toma, and quite a few other dazed saiyans, crawled out of the foliage. They were so stunned, so shocked, no one spoke, no one moved once free. Some only made it halfway out of the brush, before becoming transfixed by the sight. And then they felt the _real_ fight begin.

Determination, righteous _indignation_, flowed through Trunks' body like the current through a wire. It had worked. Now they just had to succeed themselves. He and Gohan had hit the shield with as strong of blasts as they could while inside the practice sphere. The troops had been able to hold it then, and he trusted them to now.

In a worst case scenario, if both he and Gohan died, the rest of them had their orders. Instead of holding the shield, they would all fire at once. Hopefully, if it came to that, if Broly was wounded badly enough, the compression of their ki would finish him off. Plan "B" was a little grim, but it was the best they could do. There was really only one potential downside to having trapped Broly though, that _they_ were trapped with him...

Trunks let go of every last little bit of restraint he'd carried, and attacked. Now they didn't have to worry about destroying their home. They could just concentrate on ridding it of this evil.

Gohan let his personal shield fall, to find Trunks already on the offensive. The raw, fierce energy pouring off his bond mate made Gohan proud to have the love of such a male. That was what he thought in the back of his head, as he joined the assault.

Broly roared with rage, to be inundated, to be caged.

Trunks landed an enormous punch, making him sail backward right into Gohan's kick. The force of Broly hitting the shield would potentially do some damage to him as well. It depended on how strong of a super saiyan was holding the other side of the spot he hit.

Bardock heard several quick intakes of breath around him. The spherical mass of brats bulged outward in one spot...but it held. They closed back into a tight grouping again a second later. Even through the awe-inspiring, sensory overload of all these super saiyans, Trunks, Gohan, and Broly could still be felt distinctly inside...

Toma wondered briefly if he'd even be able to sense ki properly after all this. Maybe his senses would just be blown out, and he'd go back to using a scouter again. He was pretty sure all the components in every scouter left on vegeta-sei were smoldering right now though...

Again, the formation bulged, it being the prince this time that had been sent careening into it. The position of the sphere changed somewhat in the sky after each contained hit. After the fight had gone on like that for a few minutes, a new problem became clear though. They were beginning to drift a little too close to the ground...

Tremors began running under Bardock and Toma's feet. That was just from the power of so many holding the shield. It was a stark revelation, how many times over the planet would have been blown away already, by the blasts _inside_ of it.

The ground had opened up in a wide crater beneath them now. Casey knew they had to do something about their proximity, and quick. They had only practiced _holding_ the sphere though, not moving it. No one had realized they would be affected so much by the real battle.

The King and General had tested them, grilled them on maintaining the solid field of energy. But those were direct hits they knew were coming. The fight going on inside was fast and chaotic. Directions changed too suddenly to predict where the next stress point would be...

"Aaron! Yosai! Esteban!" he shouted to those directly around him, "We have to move the sphere!"

"Move it?!" Aaron looked at him in alarm.

"The whole point was to protect the planet, and we're destroying it!" Casey reminded him.

"We... We don't have the coordination for that!" Aaron yelled back, looking afraid. Just then their section was stretched and pushed against, the General being driven into it with Broly's knee in his back. The King rushed from behind, hitting Broly in the head and stopping his insane laughter for a moment. The pressure on them was relieved then, and they were able to get their shields aligned and overlapping properly once more.

"We can barely keep this in synch" Yosai said, panting with the effort they were all going to. Casey shook his head. They didn't have a choice here.

"Then hold on!" he said, "I'll do it myself!"

"Commander?!" Yosai said, confused. Aaron and Esteban both looked pale.

"Hold onto each other! Make a web!" Casey ordered, actually using some of the authority he'd been given on Trunks' first day as King.

The half breeds did as he said, staying in their positions, but grabbing onto those near them. Even tails took firm hold of adjoining limbs as the word and network spread.

The crater below the sphere was getting dangerously close to the city. Bardock knew there'd be years, if not decades worth of rebuilding as it was, if the brats won. It wasn't about that. It was the sickening crack and shake that seemed to be coming from the very core beneath them that concerned him.

He hated the feeling of helplessness, but he supposed he was getting used to it by now.

Then a commotion started at the base of the sphere, right after another bulge pushed them even closer to the ground. Bardock could see the pattern that the half breeds held starting to shift. It looked like it was becoming tighter almost, interconnected, instead of each one flying on their own...

There was one on the bottom who stood out though. His legs were free, hanging down to vegeta-sei, instead of being held up. Bardock knew better than anybody, that not all super saiyans were created equal. That was all he could think of as he watch power _pour_ off that single brat.

Slowly, slowly, then all at once more quickly, the sphere moved upward.

Bardock would have sworn he could hear the brat's roar right from where he stood. The ground stopped shaking a moment later as the cage hovered high again. Suddenly, Bardock needed to sit down. He was exhausted and shaken just from watching the battle for their planet. He lowered himself to a nearby fallen tree, though he didn't really feel any relief. Broly was still alive inside that thing, so it wasn't over yet.

If appearing before them soaked in blood hadn't been convincing enough, Trunks and Gohan were now sure beyond a doubt of Broly's insanity. At first he just tried killing them with a look of sheer joy on his face. As they got going though, with punches and ki blasts leaving real damage behind, the laughter started.

Half way through the fight, while in a grapple with Gohan, Broly's eyes glazed over. Gohan's heart rate ticked up a notch, remembering the demon Empress... Nothing supernatural happened though. That was just the moment Broly apparently decided Gohan was his father, back from the dead.

It was with an especially renewed vigor that Broly tried to kill them then.

Trunks almost missed the laughter, after the screaming started. Their opponent's words were nearly unintelligible, just rage released in vocal form. It was slightly terrifying to be stuck in such close quarters with him, Trunks could admit that. He didn't let it distract him though.

When Gohan slammed his fist into Broly's side, Trunks kneed him in the other. They ground the wounded male between the two of them. If Broly managed to escape a hold, or get in a hit on one, the other would counter and attack back. Trunks and Gohan had been fighting together for half their lives, and knew each other's moves intimately. They were bond mates, after all.

It seemed like hours that they battled, but Trunks knew his sense of time was probably skewed. He had taken quite a few blows himself, but never more than one bad one in a row. Gohan's presence insured he had time to recover here and there. He did his best to return the favor for his bond mate as well. It was wearing on his hope a little more and a little more though, each time Broly charged back at them ferociously...

Then suddenly, one minute they were fighting a deranged super saiyan, and the next minute they weren't. The glow flickered and fell from around Broly, but he didn't stop screaming. He continued to try and lunge at Gohan, though the General was too quick. A burst of ki sliced through the lunatic's middle, eating away a huge chunk of his flesh.

And still Broly screamed.

Trunks' mouth hung slightly open in disbelief as he fired his own, wider blast, knocking Broly out of the air. He hit the shield with a good deal of force, the sounds of breaking bones accompanying the smack. Broly's body came to a stop at the bottom, his blood sizzling against the energy of the super saiyan sphere. He still had a ki signature though, so Trunks stayed on alert.

With a lurching gurgle, entrails already sliding out of him, Broly tried to get up. Trunks could still hear the scream behind his blood filled airway... Roaring in anger at all this male had inflicted upon them, Trunks decapitated him. Blood sprayed everywhere as the spasming body fell back down. Still in a rage, Trunks threw Broly's head at the wall behind him, yelling himself. He was already covered in blood and bruises anyway.

It just...it wasn't enough. The King flew back up, blasting Broly's lifeless form. He held the stream of ki until it pulsed white in it's intensity, obliterating the insane male's body completely. Even the loose head was caught in it, having rolled back down to the center.

Trunks finally let go of his attack, of his energy entirely. He dropped out of super saiyan and just hovered there, staring at the discolored smear. The General gave the signal for the rest of the half breeds to power down now, knowing they must be exhausted. Then Gohan quickly slipped his hands over Trunks' cheeks, turning their faces together.

"Hey, it's over" he said urgently, seeing the lost look in his King's eyes. Trunks nodded, feeling angry tears spilling over.

"My father's still dead though..." Trunks said in a whisper.

"I know," Gohan answered him softly, "I know... But he's _proud_."

The half breeds dropped out of super saiyan as nearly in synch as they had flashed to it. Statistically, Bardock knew for there to be that many, some of them would have to be _pretty_ young... It was an epic effort they had just given. He doubted any would hold it against the few who simply fell out of the sky afterward. The others around seemed to be doing a good job of catching them though.

Bardock watched their victorious descent, but their exact landing place was obscured. There was enough left of the city that there was no line of sight through it, miraculously... No... Not miraculously... What those brats had just done spoke of planning and careful consideration. And a strength that was the stuff of legends.

"Come on" Toma said, pushing at his bond mate's shoulder, "Let's go say hi."

Bardock looked at him with a raised eyebrow for the casual wording.

"Say 'hi'?"

"What? It's not like they need our _help_ or anything, they're the ones who just saved _our_ asses" Toma pointed out. And truthfully, he had a point...

Gohan hugged Trunks in the air for a moment, before starting to lower them both to the ground. They were alive. They had won. Gohan almost felt as if he didn't know what to do with himself now. He steered them toward the edge of the crater closest to the city. Part way through, Trunks lessened his hold, and Gohan released him to fly on his own. His King looked...at peace.

"So... Where were you at the end there, Gohan?..." Trunks asked quietly as they flew.

Gohan blushed.

"I was, there..."

"I thought I told you not to hold back..." Trunks reminded him, not sounding overly upset though.

"He wasn't even super saiyan anymore..." Gohan said in his defense.

The King shook his head in a resigned manner, as if Gohan was hopeless, but let it go for the moment. It was time to play those politics.

Touching down amongst the other half breeds, the sense of accomplishment and triumph was pervasive. Many were too exhausted to do any more than give a thumbs up from where they lay in the dirt though. Trunks walked through the field of victory, thanking them, praising their efforts. It only took a few minutes for the story of Casey's particular heroics to reach the King's ears. Trunks would now have more at his disposal as reward than just rank though...

Before he could hunt down the male in question, two extremely familiar ki signatures hit his senses. Immediately, Trunks was overjoyed for Gohan. He knew his bond mate had desperately hoped Bardock and Toma would still be alive when they got here. Trunks had his mother and soon-to-be sibling, but Gohan had been afraid for a while that he'd be the last of his pack.

Not that he'd ever spoken it aloud. Trunks knew though, and smiled just as widely as his bodyguard did, seeing the two approach.

Gohan felt a resurgence of energy, the happy, emotional kind, when Bardock and Toma came into view. It was all he could do not to fly out to meet them. He stayed at Trunks' side though, which was were he belonged. Bardock touched down just a few feet in front of him. Gohan opened his mouth, but was cut off from speaking by the surprise of a fierce hug.

Trunks watched the display right next to him, thinking how good it was. Gohan had been through so much, just as much as he had, really... Then suddenly he was being pulled into the hug by Toma as well, making one big group of it. After a moment of feeling slightly overwhelmed, Trunks just closed his eyes, and enjoyed it.

They didn't have a whole lot of time to themselves though. The rest of the saiyans had followed behind Bardock and Toma. When their hug ended, Trunks and Gohan could see the line of them approaching en mass.

"Aaron" Gohan called out to the nearest male left on his feet, "Go fetch it now..."

Nodding curtly, Aaron bounded off back to the ships. Knowing this was about to be an important moment, Gohan gave a sharp, short whistle to the rest.

"On your feet..." he said loudly, not taking his eyes of the coming crowd. Overall, the saiyans didn't look very confrontational, more like curious and stunned... Gohan supposed that was a good sign. At his order, half breeds began pulling themselves up off the ground. It just seemed prudent to not be displaying such weakness, however minor, upon their reintroduction...

As the crowd got close, suddenly other packs were coming together with their youngest members too. There was cheering, back slapping, even more hugging going on certain places. Both Trunks and Gohan were relieved to see it. By saiyan standards, and maybe even by human, it was a warm welcome.

Trunks was too tired to fly again for any sustained amount of time to address them. Instead he stood upon a boulder that had been uprooted earlier by their power.

"I want to be clear" he began, pausing to give everyone a chance to turn their ears toward him, "Vegeta-sei has not been saved by just half breeds, but by _saiyans_. It was your own sons who attained the strength to do this, not some outsiders."

Trunks could see Aaron in the distance, returning now.

"If anyone still thinks that mixing with the humans is a bad idea, or that those offspring should be treated differently, they are free to leave vegeta-sei. But it _will not_ be tolerated here" the King informed them, laying down the law.

"The traitorous teachings of Paragus and the Purists drove a wedge in our society, that in all honesty, we still may never recover from. The Program was initiated by my parents in an effort to save the saiyans from going extinct. We have been dealt a grave setback by the murderous greed in Broly and his father's hearts. Paragus' pride lead him to commit many atrocious acts. I would urge all of you, to evaluate, if his was a path you still want to follow..."

The King paused, motioning Aaron to hand over the cloth wrapped headdress. Once it was in his hands, he let the covering fall away, holding it up high for all to see. It was identical to the one Broly had worn all his life, and sent a ripple of unease through the crowd.

"Do you know where I got this?" Trunks asked loudly, for effect, not expecting an answer.

"From an ice demon!" he declared fiercely, causing a nearly collective gasp to run through those gathered. Bardock and Toma looked horrified.

"Paragus, the _traitor_, conspired with _the mother of Frieza and Cooler_, to overthrow my father, and to cause chaos. Paragus was specifically given propaganda to tear our race apart, because that was the revenge _she_ desired" he informed them.

Growling and shouts of anger were echoing through the crowd now. A random male flew up above the general melee.

"It's true! When we captured those Purists causing trouble on the prince's wedding day, one of them was bearing the demon's coin! I saw it with my own eyes!" he shouted. The anger in the air doubled after his statement.

Trunks nodded to him, then looked over at Bardock. He was the only one left who had a chance of being able to confirm the accusation. Gohan's sire nodded, then a revelation seemed to flit across his face.

"Where's Bega?!" Bardock suddenly yelled, causing an even greater commotion as he was looked for among them.

"Are there any others of the Purists' inner circle left alive?" Trunks asked quickly.

"No. _Ironically_, a lot of them were the first to be killed when Broly snapped. Because they had all positioned themselves so close to the King" Bardock said with a slight growl in his voice. The grizzled veteran was willing to give Bega a chance when it had just been that he was an idiot. The Bega that had bargained with ice demons though, would get no second chances.

"It doesn't look like he's in the gathering..." Trunks said, mostly to himself. He knew his mother was watching the battle from the satellites, even while confined to earth. It was easy enough to call her up on their private comm-link, even though the signal was a bit delayed by the distance.

"I assume you've seen our victory, mother" he began right away, "But I was hoping you could tell me if any ships have left the planet since we made re-entry?... Thank you, yes, that's quite helpful. I'll contact you again a little later" Trunks indicated, careful not to give a specific time frame. He wouldn't bet on things 'settling down' here any time soon.

"He's still on vegeta-sei then" the King told Bardock. He scanned the faces around him for a moment, until he found just the one he was looking for.

"Commander" he said loudly, making sure all could hear Bega's sentencing, "I don't suppose you'd do me the favor of _hunting him down_, would you?"

Casey straightened his posture just a bit, his nostrils flaring as a smile spread over his face.

"Of course, your majesty. It would be my pleasure" he nodded, revenge already settling over his demeanor. Trunks nodded back to him, and the Commander took off right away to begin the search. If Casey found and killed Bega on his own before the mothers and cubs arrived, Trunks hoped Bran wouldn't be too upset. The green eyed male had earned the right though, and much more on top of that.

More still needed to be addressed with the crowd, but it was ok if Casey was gone for it.

"I know there will be those of you wondering how I came about this headdress myself" he began. It was a good point that got a lot of saiyan's attention.

"When we were sent from vegeta-sei, our natural destination was earth. Upon arriving there though, we found the planet enslaved. The saiyan embassy was destroyed in a coordinated attack. A resurgence of the Planet Trade Organization had taken it over at the same time Broly slew my father. After the battle to take earth back, we discovered captives wearing these same devices. It took a while, but we figured out the PTO was behind it and where they were. It was during that battle, with the icy she-demon, that most of us gained the power you saw today. I'll spare you all the details though, so your sons themselves can tell you of their adventures" Trunks smiled to see pride reflected in so many father's eyes throughout the crowd.

"Power is all well and good, and _necessary_, but it is not the only thing that is important. Yes, my power is tremendous, but if you kneel because of _it_, then you still haven't learned your lesson" Trunks said decisively. He intended for this to be a teaching moment, to hopefully make them think. He didn't actually mean for them all to kneel before him.

But they did.

Even Bardock and Toma, even those who had already sworn to him on earth. Even the General took a knee from beside him, in his place of honor.

"...Thank you..." was all Trunks could think to say for a moment. He was moved by the display, by what they were so quick to imply. The King put forth the same question to them that he had the half breeds, the last time he was knelt to. Obedience, loyalty, mutual trust... The response was unanimous, and the same. He would still go through the formal rites and such, but this meant more to him than any crownings or coronations.

"My first official declaration as your rightful King then, will be thus," Trunks informed them, "From now on, neither Paragus' or Broly's names will be spoken among us, ever again. They, and this time period, will only be referred to as 'the madness'. Their deeds will serve as a warning, but their names will be cut out from our memory."

To a one, every last saiyan cheered.

~/~

Casey, son of Kra, seemed to be blessed with a fateful timing. Just as the male was dragging his hunted-down prey to the King's feet, the rest of the ships began arriving.

"Do with him what you will, as long as he dies" Trunks finally said coolly. Bega had refused to speak to them, not even pleading his innocence. He simply stared straight forward and ignored Trunks' questions. The King had seen enough.

Casey proceeded to beat the traitorous fool bloody, until Bega couldn't even stand on his own. Both Trunks and Gohan were sure the presence of Kra spurred him on. The scarred, one eyed male had been in the group of those to scoop his super saiyan son in a tight hug right away. He grinned approvingly from the sidelines as Bega received blow after blow.

In the midst of that pummeling, Brighid arrived with Bran. They were the first to touch down of the mothers and cubs. Seeing the 'fight' taking place, Brighid was of course drawn in that direction. She watched calmly, with her hand on Bran's head, at Kra's side.

Before the end though, with Bega still alive by a thread of ki, Casey dragged him over to his sister's feet. He lay rather limply, face down in the dirt. Bran took out her knife in an almost questioning stance, the glint in her eye obvious for all to see. Casey nodded, and Bran pounced. She reached down to take a fistful of Bega's hair, pulling his head back sharply.

"This is what you get for insulting the house of Kra" she growled without hesitation, and slit his throat wide open.

There was a deep sighing noise from beside Gohan, and he looked to find Katsu standing not too far away.

"...What a female..." he said, almost as if to himself, clearly going to get himself into a lot of trouble some day.

"Just remember which _male_ is her brother..." Gohan said under his breath, shooting their youngest attendant a look to be careful. Katsu grinned at the General then, giving him a quick wink.

"Oh, don't worry, Casey owes me one."


	22. Chapter 22 - The Future Begins

"I refuse to replace the bloody fist of the madness with a blood soaked glove instead" Trunks said firmly.

"Trunks, you can't just let them _stay_ out there..." Bulma said, a bit of her '_I'm the genius here_' tone slipping into her voice.

"I cannot _order_ them to come live in the city anymore than my father could _order_ males to take humans for breed mates. It has to come from them. A large segment of the population has always preferred the wilds anyway. You can't blame them for not returning quickly, after all they went through..." the King pointed out.

"But if they stay off to themselves, keep breeding with the other wildlings, we could very well end up with another _aberration_" she argued.

"All we can do is make sure that everyone understands the consequences. Knowledge of what lead to the madness has not been restricted, but we can make efforts for it to be known by all. No parent wants to have to slay their own offspring. I think them realizing how close we are to that tipping point will open the eyes of any doubters" Trunks said.

It had been months now since they had taken back vegeta-sei. His mother was able to return after successfully whelping a healthy, blue haired female. Already, Bra was the center of attention for most of the palace. They soon found she had to be watched by someone else during council sessions though, or the entire thing would be derailed.

The palace itself was only partially rebuilt. It was just enough to live in right now, enough to function, but they were getting there. The main hall had yet to be finished, so Trunks had not been _technically_ crowned... There was not a soul on the planet that didn't call him King though. To him it was just a formality, he understood the deeper bonds behind Kingship. It seemed like fate had decided that every male in his line would have to _earn_ it all over again... He had no complaints though. The King knew he had more to be thankful for than most.

~/~

Trunks' coronation was as regal and celebrated of an event as Gohan had ever seen. The main hall was shining and new around them, with banners and wall hangings everywhere. The symbol of house Vegeta was displayed proudly on each one, with Trunks himself being it's ultimate representation.

The cheering roar went on for a long time when the crown was set and the deed finally 'announced'. All of vegeta-sei was gathered for the occasion, even if they couldn't all fit in the hall. Just as loud of a noise came from outside the palace as within. Using his ki, the King made sure that all would be able to hear him, no matter where they were.

"Sometimes, it takes chaos raining down upon us, before we can understand the discipline of our fathers" he said for the half breed's benefit. "Sometimes, it takes threats we could never have imagined, to open our eyes to the benefits of change" he said for the father's. "But through it all, it is the ability control ourselves, to choose our mindset, that keeps our sense of adventure intact" he said for the benefit of the human's and all beings everywhere.

Trunks paused to look up above the crowd, at one of the banners hanging behind.

"Long has the house of Vegeta been the only among saiyans to bear a crest... But not any longer, after today" the King signaled the palace guards, who moved to unfurl a new banner. Gohan was at the side of, though a few steps below, the King. He turned to give him an inquisitive look. His bond mate hadn't mentioned anything about this...

As the fabric came down, thick and durable as the King's own, a pleased murmuring began to run through the crowd. The crest was the image of a golden sun, its flames licking outward as though wild and striving.

"All those super saiyans who fought for the freedom of our people have earned the right to bear this mark. The order of the sun will be an honor among us. Not just designating strength, but loyalty and perseverance, and having survived the crucible" Trunks declared.

Having a good sense of timing himself, the King gave them a moment to cheer again, waiting for the exuberance to die down a bit. Armor and capes for the order had already been made up by his mother, but those would be distributed later. He had one last point to make now, before dismissing everyone to the feast.

"When our people entered the time of madness, it fell to me to lead us out of it. Because after all, it was my responsibility" Trunks brought down the energy of the room a notch with his more somber tone. "I would like to take a moment however, to recognize a different, though just as spectacular effort that was made. One that was performed even without any responsibility being owed. Bardock, Toma, please approach the throne" the King gestured to them, a small smile over his face. He knew the males wouldn't necessarily be comfortable with receiving such recognition while they were still alive... They would just have to deal with it though.

"If you searched all of vegeta-sei, all of our history, all our legends, you would not find an example of greater loyalty than yours" he addressed them once they stood at his feet. "This symbol belongs to you as well, even if you are not super saiyans. And insomuch as _it_ does, so does the symbol of the very house of Vegeta as well, in all truth. For neither, and none of us at all, would exist without your efforts. And I do not mean just the half breeds. _All_ saiyans owe you the blood debt of their very lives" the King spoke with feeling and conviction.

"If there is anything you want or need, _ever_, you have simply to ask" he made it known before all. Bardock was fidgeting slightly under the praise, but not _too_ badly. Toma looked amused by his bond mate's reaction more than anything.

"Actually..." Bardock suddenly said, seeming to be surprised himself at his speaking up. "Actually, there is something... I'd like to marry my bond mate, your majesty, and we'd like for you and Gohan to be there, if it can work for your schedule" Bardock was a bit more polite in his asking then he would normally be, since it was such a formal setting.

Both Gohan and Trunks grinned widely to hear the declaration of their intent.

"Bardock," the King said, nodding in acceptance, "You pick the day, and our entire planet will celebrate with you."

~/~

Bardock and Toma returned from their marriage hunt bloody, smelling of sex, and looking completely enamored. It was ok though, no one minded. Gohan wondered if maybe getting aroused during that process wasn't just a half breed thing after all...

Amazingly, Toma was holding back from the free spirits provided. But that was probably only until their knots were tied... When the time did come, both their hands were steady and sure. It was a different view for Gohan, being up on the King's dais. But it still brought back the memories of his own ceremony quite forcefully.

At the end of the tying, no one was more surprised than Bardock when Toma kissed him firmly in front of everyone. Whistles and cheers ran through the crowd, along with clapping and knowing grins.

"What? If the brats can do it, so can we" Toma told him, his hand still on the back of Bardock's neck. The pleased male just smiled back, nodding in agreement. Thankfully since neither of them were royalty, they didn't have to put up with everyone paying their respects to them. Trunks _had_ called for a tournament though, in their honor.

The arena had survived relatively unscathed in the madness, so little preparation was needed there. Bardock and Toma were looking forward to the entertainment. There actually hadn't been a tournament held, of any size, since the prince's marriage... This one would be massive, with a little over a thousand entrants.

The King had declared at the outset that no one could transform for it. It wasn't so much to keep things 'fair', as it was to prevent the arena and watchers from being destroyed. Many full blooded saiyans had signed up as a result, though most had a good idea of who the final showdown would be between...

~/~

In a separate antechamber from the rest of the entrants, Gohan was preparing for the requirements of the tournament. Aaron, Cumin and Katsu would all be fighting as well, so he was by himself for the moment. He was still familiar with how to strip down to his sparring pants without their help though.

He heard the door open as he was pulling his shirt off, and felt Trunks' presence behind him. Gohan turned his head to the side, giving him his attention without turning fully. The King didn't say anything right away. His bond mate came around to face him, and Gohan could see a jar of oil in his hands. The General smiled as the King removed his gloves, pouring a small amount into his palm.

Trunks began to spread the substance over his husband's muscled chest with a deliberate slowness.

"I was too young last time" the King said, almost as a purr, "To appreciate the oiling..."

Gohan gave a soft, rumbling chuckle.

"So was I... I guess we'll have to make up for enjoying it after I win this time" he grinned.

"You just assume you'll win? How presumptuous..." Trunks teased him, taking more oil and spreading it further and further.

"I _have_ heard you like that in a guard..." Gohan flirted with him shamelessly, since they were alone. The mood that was settling over him though, he might not have held back even if they did have an audience. As it was, he let his tail roam over the King's body while royal hands caressed him.

Trunks didn't even have the grace to blush.

"Well _I_ presume you'll be returning to me in much the same state you did last time...so I'll let Aaron know we'll be needing clean sheets in the morning" Trunks grinned, more heat than he really should be allowing, filling his gaze. Gohan's upper body was covered in a glorious sheen that made the King consider calling off this whole event... But it wasn't for their benefit, it was for Bardock and Toma's.

The King's bond mate smiled back at him with nearly a smirk, his tail flicking dangerously behind him. Leaning in slowly, he gave Trunks just the barest brush of lips. It was submissive, yet taunting, all at once. Then he winked and left to join the other contestants.

~/~

Cumin had done fairly well against his opponents in the first round. He was among the stronger of the full blooded saiyans on vegeta-sei. There was still a definite distinction between that and being a super saiyan though. Even without the transformation, that power base was in a different league than his.

Though his own father hadn't survived the madness, his father's former bond mate, Turnip, had taken he and Aaron into his pack. Aaron's older brother had been absorbed into his own bond mate's pack too, so it was fitting. While they were all on earth, it had just been the proper thing for Cumin to do, to keep an eye on Turnip's human breed mate and their daughter. He had been raised right alongside little Snip, up until he became Trunks' attendant anyway.

Snip had entered the tournament too, though she was only about eight. She was actually near the same age as Bran, and turning out to be just as ruthless. It was to be expected though, she was a female after all. The randomness of drawing lots decided who would be up against who for the fighting. Cumin just hoped he didn't have to lose to her in front of a huge crowd like this.

When his second match was called, and he was placed against Katsu, Cumin knew he'd reached the end of the line. It was ok though, this tournament was all in good fun.

"I don't suppose you'd go a little easy on me?" he joked once they were circling each other on the bare floor.

"That depends... How much do you want to owe me?" Katsu grinned, never taking his eyes off his opponent.

"Never mind. Just beat my ass" Cumin said with a slight shake of his head, resigning himself. He still grinned though.

"You could always just give up _now_..." Katsu said, taunting his friend.

Cumin growled, and pounced. It was a fairly good effort that he gave... But in the end, he sat lumped with the other failed contestants as well. A few more matches went by before he heard a name called up that piqued all their interest though. He felt kind of bad for who ever drew Casey in the early rounds like this. It was nearly as bad as having to go up against the General himself...

When of all saiyans, Aaron's name was drawn out to fight him, Cumin groaned. It was a shame for his much stronger bond mate to get eliminated so quickly as well... Not that he didn't have faith, he just dealt in reality. He could see the General slapping Aaron on the back encouragingly from across the arena.

For some reason it made a memory rise up in Cumin, of the King placing a hand on his own shoulder.

_"__Are you angry with me?" the King asked him, though Cumin didn't think he'd given his monarch any reason to think he was..._

_"__You mean over the restriction?" he answered as a question. Trunks nodded. Cumin wouldn't say he was happy about it, but he certainly understood..._

_"__No, I get it. We'd just be a worry, an extra distraction to those who can transform" he'd told his King. Trunks looked at him contemplatively for a moment._

_"__You know, the fact that all the half breeds have the ability to reach super saiyan, means that actually all saiyans do too..."_

_Cumin's eyes got a little wide, hearing that out of the blue... The next moment though, he shook his head._

_"__But your father and Kakarot practically killed themselves, for years, to reach it... If that's the same path I'd have to take, I'll never make it in time" he reasoned. The King tipped his head to the side slightly, indicating Cumin had a point._

_"__It's ok, your majesty, someone needs to stay as your full-time attendant while the others are getting as strong as they can" he followed up with, making his decision._

It wasn't a decision Cumin regretted. Getting beat up a few more times between that conversation and the taking back of vegeta-sei wouldn't have made much difference. He put the issue of his own strength out of his head though, to cheer for his bond mate. Aaron held his own against Casey for ten minutes or so, but ultimately ended up sitting next to Cumin afterward.

Their tails wrapped together in commiseration, but they were still having a good time. They watched a dozen more matches before Snip's turn came up for the round. The male she was fighting was full blooded, so she had a good chance of winning. He ended up 'giving' from face down, with his arm about to be broken behind his back.

"She's certainly going to have her choice of breed mates later..." Cumin said proudly as Snip raised her fist in a roar of victory.

"Of course she will... They all will, still... Bulma said it won't be until us half breeds start having whelps, that the ratio of male to female would even out. From the human influence" Aaron commented.

It was hopeful news that Cumin was happy to hear. Then he thought about it for a second.

"Wait, how does she know that?..."

...

"...Um, actually... I'm not really sure I want to know what 'data' she examined to find that out..." Aaron said with a frown.

~/~

Katsu was pleased with his performance. He'd not been able best the General, but that was hardly surprising. Gohan didn't even look tired yet, after fighting all day... For Katsu, it wasn't about winning, but about being seen fighting smart. He had always been raised knowing the odds of catching a female's attention were slim. To attract one that was so uniquely special would be a monumental undertaking...

He felt that he was up to the challenge though.

The wounds he'd received in the ring were borderline, and he'd declined going to the tanks so he could see the last fight. Katsu half sat, half laid against Cumin on the bench while he rested. Casey and Gohan were making their way to the scanners now, more for show than anything else. Those things would probably explode into flames if either of them truly powered up.

"Do you want me to heal you?" an inquisitive voice asked. Bran had snuck up on them, and was a few feet away, watching.

"Nah, it's ok... A male should have a scar or two" Katsu tried to hide his surprise at being caught unaware of his surroundings. ...Maybe he was more injured than he thought... He'd obviously said the right thing though, because Bran smiled back widely. Katsu returned the grin, and stole a glance over to where the rest of Bran's pack sat. Kra was watching the ring, but Brighid was glaring their way forcefully.

"You know, I get the feeling your mother doesn't like you talking to me..." Katsu said, just to see how Bran would react. She giggled, but in a way that made it seem like Katsu was being the innocent one.

"Of course not. I'm too young to choose a mate, didn't you know?" she said, grinning sweetly.

"I know..." Katsu replied, feeling the air go out of Cumin behind him in a relieved sigh, "No one said you should be choosing yet..."

"I'm not" Bran affirmed, swishing her hair. "I just want you to know that you've got my attention... We'll see if you can keep it" she said with a flick of her tail. Then the wild red hair that was Bran, turned and walked away without another word.

"Don't come crying to us when Brighid cuts off your tail" Aaron muttered under his breath, but Katsu just kept grinning.

~/~

"I'll go first" Casey said, waving the right to a coin toss in a rare display. Both males stood shirtless, arms crossed, as they summed each other up. There had been a lot of good fights today, ones they had seen, and ones they had been in. The crowd's energy was high, having waited all day for this match up.

"Sure, be my guest..." Gohan waved at the platform. The glint in Casey's eye said he was probably up to something... But the General didn't care to think about it too hard. His thoughts kept drifting back to a certain lavender haired King watching their every move...

Casey stepped onto the scanner with a confident grin, though no one with half a brain would expect his reading to be accurate. They were super saiyans, they _had_ enough strength left to make this a good fight. Gohan found he didn't really mind that much, being part of a 'show'. The green eyed male's reading had been in the two hundred thousand rage last round. Even that was obviously holding back. The General wondered if his reading now would be lower, or _higher_...

"602?..." the announcer seemed taken aback, re-reading the display a few times. He must have expected, along with the majority of the crowd, for there to be a 'thousand' behind the Commander's numbers.

Casey grinned, looking Gohan straight in the eye, and winked.

"Get the hell off of there" the General told him, squinting as if taking him seriously for the first time. Descending from the platform, Casey unnecessarily invaded Gohan's space. It was a subtle, animal like challenge, and deserved a response in-kind. With a flare of his nostrils, Gohan held his ground and waited for Casey to go to the announcer's side like he was supposed to.

"So, is that as far down as you can hold your power now, Commander?" the bewildered announcer finally asked him. Gohan shook his head at the comment as he climbed on for his turn.

"No," Casey said, dismissing that theory, "Just trying to psyche out my opponent, that's all..."

The announcer nodded, but obviously had no idea what he was talking about. Maybe he had been off world or something, the last time Gohan fought...

"60_3_..." the male said with a frown, but as soon as the General's reading flashed, the audience went crazy. Gohan came down off the platform and pushed Casey in the chest, instigating. Two powerful males acting so _aggressively_ toward each other was the announcer's cue to exit, and he backed away from them immediately.

He didn't know them well enough of course, to tell the 'fight' in their eyes was ultimately playful.

Casey threw a punch right then and there, not even waiting until they got into the main section of the arena. Gohan remembered this sound. So many yelling and shouting that it drown like the sound of a waterfall. He knew how to play this game.

Dodging backward, the General evaded the Commander's attacks, drawing him toward the main pit. He was down in it, with Casey ready to jump in, when he sprung forward himself. His opponent was startled at the speed and ferocity of Gohan's attack. Casey was knocked backward and the two of them grappled for a moment to ever increasing cheers.

It was shortly after Gohan stopped holding back, that Casey did as well. Both of them hovered just below the level of the transformation though, as per the rules. Their punches sent concussion waves through the air around them. Gohan charged down, narrowly missing a crushing blow to Casey's ribs. He hit the ground instead, and the floor of the arena split and cracked like a sheet of ice.

Seeing Casey had escaped and was on his feet again, a feral growl rose up from Gohan's throat. He stalked a few feet toward his loosed prey, and could see Casey's eyes getting wide.

"I give" the male suddenly said, throwing his hands and tail up to relent. Gohan blinked at him for a moment, not sure he'd heard that right. Then he raised an eyebrow. Casey had a surprised expression on his face, like he wasn't sure if Gohan was going to stop or not, and he took a step backward.

"You give?... We were just getting started..." Gohan said, almost a bit dejectedly.

"I don't want to die in this ring, sir" Casey coughed a little. It was then Gohan noticed his opponent was more than a little injured already. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly for a second, and Casey extended a hand to shake with him. The General accepted right away, pulling his sometimes pupil into the warrior's version of their handshake. Then he tussled the other male's hair in approval, letting the younger know he'd done well. Casey moved away after that, to let Gohan have the center of attention.

With a raised fist, but no copious amounts of blood this time, Gohan roared in victory.

"Your winner! Gohan, son of Kakarot!" the announcer's words were just barely intelligible over the crowd's fervor. Letting the adulation wash over him for a few moments, the General decided it was finally time to go claim his prize.

There was nothing being fought _for_ in a tournament like this, just the thrill and rush itself. Hence the lack of killing and maiming your opponents... Gohan though, had a slightly different purpose running through the back of his mind as he fought.

No other guards escorted him this time, to the King's side. Many congratulated him on his way though. He thanked them, but kept moving, and no one questioned his determination.

When he reached the royal box, Bardock and Toma were laughing heartily at some part of the conversation. Trunks grinned from the throne. Their attendants and councilors were all down in the arena, having either fought or been the close family of fighters.

"You fought well" Trunks said to his bond mate, watching him slyly, with renewed focus. Gohan tipped his head down in agreement, as if that was obvious.

"You two may want to excuse yourselves now" Gohan said to his sire and sire's bond mate, "I've not had any time to cool down..." The General's gaze never wavered from the King's as he spoke. Thus he saw the flash of excitement in Trunks' eyes, but missed the rolling of Bardock's. A predatory grin spread over Gohan's face, and his tail flicked behind him.

"I thought of a way to enjoy the oil without getting your sheets dirty" he informed the King as he stalked toward him. Trunks' nostrils flared, and he removed his armor as if it was part of the natural motion in standing.

"Oh really? You know I like creativity in my guards too..." he purred as Gohan approached.

The last thing Bardock saw as he and Toma left was Gohan hoisting the King up to his waist, and pressing him against the wall. He shook his head and sighed, as if extremely put out, as the door closed. He hardly cared though...they did have their own evening to finish up here anyway...

"Damn brats" he chuckled, instead of grumbled, as they headed down the hall.

"I don't know..." Toma said with a questioning grin, "Maybe we should take a page out of their book..."

Bardock shot him a sidelong glance, grinning himself.

"...Maybe..." the grizzled warrior took his husband's hand as their tails swished toward each other. "You know, I had a dream last night..." he said, as if prompting the other male. Toma knew if it had been anything _bad_, Bardock would have spoken long before this, so he wasn't worried by the statement.

"Oh? What kind of dream..." he asked for his part.

"Well, I'm not really sure, actually... It, didn't _feel_ like just a regular dream...but it wasn't what I've come to expect from the visions..." Bardock proffered.

"What did you see?" Toma asked, his curiosity piqued now.

Bardock let a deep breath in and out before answering.

"...Peace... ...The King's son bonding with Gohan's daughter... ...Our lines becoming one..." Bardock said contemplatively, his thumb rubbing over the back of his bond mate's hand. Toma gave him a knowing smile.

"Hm... Sounds like a good dream."

THE END


End file.
